


Cyber Black

by Nilsine



Series: Cyber Black [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Post-Cyberpunk, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Biopunk, Clairvoyance, Comedy, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crazy Sane, Cybernetics, Distant future, F/M, False Utopia, Freedom, Gen, Love Triangles, Mind Control, Mysterious Protagonist, Psychological Drama, Reluctant Sadist, Resurrection, Secrets, Wildly Eccentric! Cloud Strife
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2017-12-10 18:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 74,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nilsine/pseuds/Nilsine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to the wild cities, where monsters jump from electricity and 'computer virus' has a whole different meaning! Luckily, Titans 7 handles the mess. But... what to do about Cloud Strife. Titans 7 doesn't know what to make of this man, who does whatever he wants no matter what they say. Of course, none of them could ever imagine how intense their battle would become, the worldwide conspiracy that was upon them... or how special this new recruit really is...</p><p>Another fic from the Fanfiction site...with a little bit of editing...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

All Zack Fair could do was watch as the machine lowered the coffin into the ground. He wanted to close his eyes. The priest's memorized speech fell on deaf ears.

As the coffin touched the bottom of the grave, Zack began to feel raw all over again. Every time the tossed dirt struck it, he called upon more and more of his strength to keep him stable.

There was no one to help him. Most of the attendees were aunts, uncles, cousins, and distant relatives; his parents had died a short while ago.

He looked at the tombstone, a glossy thing with fancy letters, and gritted his teeth in disgust. The letters read:

Here lies

Cloud Strife

A joyful spirit dwells in heaven

 _Joyful_ , he sneered. _How can you be happy dying when you've barely begun to live?_

Even if Cloud was happy where he was now, Zack was definitely not. As selfish as it may have seemed, he could barely endure that his old friend was no longer with him. Worse still, most of the gloomy faces surrounding him were all for show. It was safe to assume that more than half of them hardly knew who Cloud was. A lump built up in his throat, and he turned and walked away from the funeral.

In the distance, he heard a woman say:

"But why would anyone want to kill little Cloud?"

Zack remembered that Cloud abhorred funerals. And **he** himself could care less about the burial. His friend was already dead and long gone, and there was only a mere body left to be buried inside of a sad, little casket.

" _Just another excuse for a family reunion, hypocrisy, and free food,"_ Cloud had said snidely. _"At least, when my turn comes around, I won't have to go!"_

And yet… it seemed as if the last remnant of him was disappearing forever, and Zack was powerless to save him. As powerless as when Cloud was still alive.

It was such a pointless and frustrating affair.

He stood a good distance from the burial. With his hands in his coat pockets, he looked up at the glowing dome that covered the entire city of Quiterie. Nothing but a glaring, white sky. Tonight, like every night, it would become pitch black. Zack had grown up with this constant firmament and thought nothing of it, but for the past few days, now, and from then on, it made him cold.

Zack dropped his head and uttered a curse at the ground.

 

* * *

 

_Zack entered Cloud's apartment unannounced and shut the door quietly. All of the lights were off, and the apartment was quiet. He ventured further in and nearly tripped over something that was sitting near the door. He reached down to touch the object, and it felt like it had a leather surface._

_The computerized system of the apartment recognized his presence, and the light turned on in the hallway. Zack saw that the object was a large, good-quality suitcase. His breath hitched, and his eyes narrowed dangerously._

_He stormed through the hallway in a swelling mixture of worry, confusion, exasperation, and a large douse of righteous fury. A part of him hoped that Cloud wasn't here to face it. To his further bewilderment, Zack realized that the doormat was missing. Not only that, all of the paintings and figurines had been taken off the walls. The hall table was gone too._

_Zack took a turn and went into the living room. To his lack of surprise, the room had also been stripped bare. Though he hadn't expected the curtains to be missing._

_But smack dab in the middle of the living room, there was a small, black table. A bottle of liquor and a pair of shot glasses were sitting on top of it._

" _I knew you'd come," a voice declared._

_Cloud was right behind him. Zack stiffened and didn't turn to meet his face._

" _Have a drink with me?" Cloud asked._

" _I don't care for any," he answered coldly._

_Zack heard a long sigh, and Cloud sauntered past him. His strides were relaxed, and his head swayed from side to side. He sat down at the table, carefully picked up the bottle, and poured a glass for himself._

" _So," Cloud chirped, setting the pot down, "are you here to try and talk me out of leaving again?"_

" _Why bother?" Zack snapped. "It's clear to me that there's no use telling you anything!"_

_Cloud tilted his head back and took a small sip; the liquor was strong. He stared at Zack head on with a pair of charmingly blue eyes. His expression was strangely indifferent._

" _What took you so long to figure that out?" he replied dryly. "Are you sure you don't want any?"_

" _Going outside of the domes is insanity!" Zack warned._ _"They haven't stopped using the screens. The 'leftovers' are still out there!"_

“ _The screens are used exclusively by Wilhelmina. And taking down the screens would make the problem worse.”_

“ _That's not good enough!”_

_Cloud didn't reply. Instead, he was looking out the naked window. He lifted the glass up to his mouth and let it linger against his lips._

" _What a disgusting view," he muttered._

_Zack's temper flared higher at the thought of being ignored. He marched towards his brother and knelt down in front him, effectively blocking "the view". Cloud looked up over his shot glass and raised a quizzical eyebrow._

" _You already have a great life here," Zack claimed. "You have a job that pays well. You've never been sick a day in your life. Everyone respects you. And most people could only hope to get an apartment half this size. There’s no reason to give that all up to go out and live in_ _ **the wilds**_ _!”_

" _There isn't?" Cloud questioned._

" _What could possibly be_ _ **out there**_ _that's better than what's_ _ **here**_ _?"_

_Cloud put the cup down and folded his hands against his leg. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nostrils._

" _Freedom, Zack," Cloud answered firmly. "It has freedom."_

_Zack became at a loss for words and sat down. Cloud turned his head and cocked it to the side, apparently in deep thought. A short pause ensued. The liquor began to look inviting, so Zack finally relented and poured some into the second cup._

" _You don't think we have_ _ **freedom**_ _?" he asked in disbelief._

" _ **You**_ _do?" Cloud replied._

" _Well, of course!"_

" _Freedom in what way?"_

“ _The freedom... to live in peace. The freedom to live without fear.”_

“ _And what price have we paid for that?”_

_Zack opened his mouth to answer immediately, but words failed him again. What could he say to get through to him?_

“ _I'm not in peace,” Cloud said. He clamped his forehead. “I'm not in peace. I'm not in peace. I've never been in peace. How can I be in peace when they're always in control?”_

“ _We entrust the Foundation with our safety. They protect us!”_

_Cloud laughed derisively. “You're all so afraid of being afraid, that you've given away your very lives. And you don't even realize it. And the Foundation? I spit on their 'protection'. I will never let them use me again. Not like they did to Grandfather.”_

“ _What are you talking about? What's this got to do with Enoch?”_

_A glass was slammed against the table, and Zack winced. Cloud pursed his lips together and beat his fist against his knee. Zack saw a strange, unfamiliar band that was around Cloud's ring finger._

“ _It's already done,” Cloud said. “I've already requested permission to leave the domes, and the city bureau has accepted it. The lease on this apartment is terminated. I handed in my two-weeks notice… two weeks ago… to that newspaper agency I_ _ **worked**_ _at. I've given away the majority of my belongings to my colleagues and my neighbors, and some of that, I've sent to you in the mail."_

_Zack became as pale as death warmed over, and his jaw dropped. "I can't believe what I'm hearing…"_

" _And on top of that," Cloud continued, "I'm set to get on a boat that's leaving Quiterie at midnight… with about thirty other people. Did you know that almost two hundred people, on average, leave the domes annually? No one notices because the population grows by millions every year..."_

" _Tonight?"_

" _No… at midnight. Which is a few hours away. A car should be coming to pick me up in about…"_

_Cloud raised his arm and glanced at his watch. "Ninety-two minutes. So, as you can see… no matter what you say… whether I regret it or not (which I don't)… I can't stop now! And even if I could, it's not in my best interest to stay in the domes. That's the only choice I_ _**can't** _ _make for myself anymore. It's just…"_

_Zack put the glass to his lips, with his hand shaking, and drank. The resulting jolt wasn't gratifying in the least._

" _You have anything stronger?" he asked._

" _I also sent all of my spirits to you in the mail," Cloud informed him. "Sorry."_

" _And where are you going from here? With no money? No home? No plan? No…"_

" _I'm going to Sandeep. And I have a contact there. I even shipped some of my belongings to him."_

_Zack stopped trembling and almost dropped his cup in surprise. Contact? He was in contact with someone outside of the domes?_

" _Come on!" Cloud said indignantly. "Have you ever seen me go about anything half-cocked?"_

" _That's… that's impossible!" Zack stammered. "There's no way to communicate with anyone from the outside."_

" _And yet, I managed it. Actually…_ _ **he**_ _was the one who got in contact with me, but that doesn't matter."_

_Cloud ran his fingers through his blonde, spiky hair and sighed again. He got up from the floor and meandered towards the window, rubbing his head anxiously. His eyes were downcast. Zack knew that habit very well. Something wasn't right._

" _No," Cloud said. "It’s best I tell you the truth. I won't be making it to the boat at midnight. No, I already know that."_

" _What's that supposed to mean?" Zack asked._

_"Just a feeling. The truth is... the seat I bought on the boat is just a diversion. It's a trick."_

_Cloud crossed his arms and looked several stories down at the city streets. He nodded to himself, as if he were making a decision. "If I had my way, I'd want you to follow me to Sandeep."_

_Zack shook his head. "You know I can't do that. My job prohibits me from_ _**ever** _ _leaving the domes. If I did that, I'd have to…"_

" _Defect?" Cloud finished._

" _Yes."_

_Cloud turned and stared at him behind his shoulder. He began to speak hesitantly. "I'm sorry, Zack. Really, I am. I don't like it when I make you worry, but it can't be helped. I have to go. I'm leaving... because there's something important I need to do. Zack, I…"_

_Cloud hid his face again and his shoulders slumped._

" _What's wrong?" Zack asked in concern._

_Cloud banged his head against the window, and Zack became quiet._

" _If I told you something that I knew," Cloud said, "and it was big enough… would you defect and go after me? No questions asked?"_

" _W-what?" Zack replied, his voice choking. He slowly got to his feet._

" _So, would you?"_ _Cloud wheeled around and waited for his answer._

_"I don't know," he replied, his curiosity peaked. "But if you think it's_ _**that** _ _important… then tell me."_

_Cloud smiled weakly and there seemed to be a glimmer of hope in his eyes. He took a few steps forward, away from the window, and Zack started to relax a little._

" _It's the Shinra Tower," Cloud said. "You know about it right?"_

" _I work for the Foundation, don't I?" Zack asked. "Do you think something's wrong with it."_

_"There is something wrong with it. Something terrible is about to happen. It's… the people behind the project… there's a program that they're trying to develop alongside of it. They… they want..."_

_Suddenly, a loud, terrible noise cracked through the air. In a whirlwind, glass shattered everywhere, Cloud plummeted to the floor, and the glass fell out Zack's hands._

_Zack rushed to his friend’s side. The window now had a large whole in the glass. There was a bullet wound in Cloud’s back, and a pool of blood was forming under him._

_He checked Cloud's pulse on his neck, and it was growing rapidly feeble._

_Cloud groaned and stirred slightly. "Zack?"_

" _Don’t talk," Zack instructed. "Don't worry. I'll get help."_

_But Cloud shook his head._

" _I'm… not frightened," he said, struggling to get out the words. "He said… that everything… that everything would… be alright. But still… It doesn't feel good."_

_Cloud mustered up the last of his strength and rolled onto his side. His eyes seemed to be staring at something invisible. He reached out his hand._

" _I knew I wasn't going to make that boat," he said. "I've always been right, haven't I?"_

_Zack grabbed his hand as it began to fall. "I said don't talk!"_

_"Grandfather," Conan whispered. "I understand. Her never wanted to create it. Not for people like them..."_

_A strange shudder went through him. His eyelids closed, and every fiber of his body went limp._

" _Ah no…" Zack said breathlessly. "Oh God, help me. Oh God … please help me!"_

_Cloud was dead._

 

* * *

 

Zack looked back again and saw that the crowd was beginning to disperse. Apparently, it was time for the after-gathering. If Cloud wouldn't go, then neither would he. He started walking again, heading towards the parking lot. His car was on the far end.

 _You really did find something,_ Zack thought. _I guess that's more than enough reason to defect._

Zack approached his car and opened it with his keys. The door popped open, and he was immediately confronted by his cell-phone.

"You have one text message," it flashed on the screen. "You have one text message."

He frowned, watching it blink for a moment, and climbed into the front seat. Who on earth would call him on such a day was beyond him. And he had already been granted mourner's leave. Then again, his superiors weren't always very sensitive or understanding.

Nor did they consistently keep their word.

Zack pressed the screen with his finger, and the message loaded. In less than a few seconds, the text appeared on the screen.

And Zack froze.

The text had been sent only a few minutes ago. The sender was unknown. To his astonishment, the message included a random picture of Cloud, standing on the street of a city he had never seen before. Cloud was dressed more casually than usual and playfully flashed a victory sign to the camera. Under the picture, there was a short note:

_I was right. The view is better here. So, hurry up so you can see it too, dummy!_

 

 


	2. Part One ~ Titans 7: I - First Outbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> The bug hunt has been extended.

Sandeep was having a quiet evening. Relatively speaking.

In the north of the city, Tobar Ace Circle was only half as full as it normally expected. Nevertheless, if you walked through the streets, you would still hear an endless stream of laughter and conversation. The streets were brightly lit and the buildings were tall, dozens of dizzying stories high. Two storefronts in particular, a pharmacy at one end and an extravagant toy store at the other, had large TV screens built into their structure. Both screens were turned off but well polished.

Still, the customers that decided to go grace the stores where in a state of anxiety. They darted, rather than strolled, into their accustomed places. The people who went to the supermarket bought large amounts of what they needed, so they wouldn't have to go back anytime soon. The restaurants were receiving very little business.

Among the constantly shifting multitude, Vincent Valentine and Sephiroth Bentley prowled the streets in their black coats. Vincent's posture was straight, with his arms at his sides and his strides filled with purpose. Sephiroth's shoulders were slightly hunched, and his hands were stuffed in his pockets. Unlike the rest of the crowd, both men were somewhat relaxed.

Sephiroth cleared his throat slightly and took a glance at his companion. As usual, Vincent wore his poker face, returned the stare, and said nothing. Sephiroth looked away again, trying to find some way for breaking the ice with this certain man.

It was never an easy task.

"So," Sephiroth said tentatively. "How are things going with you and Tifa?"

"Hmm?" Vincent replied.

"You and Tifa. I thought you two were dating, weren't you?"

"Not really."

"But you do like her, don't you?"

Vincent paused for a moment and scratched behind the piercing in his left ear. Sephiroth grinned smugly and pushed down into his pockets.

"Well, yes… but…" Vincent replied.

"Though Yuffie's real sweet on you, too," Sephiroth said casually.

The two men passed by the toy store and came upon the vicinity of the screen. In the display window, there was a miniature but accurate toy model of the entire city of Sandeep. It even included the multiple level roads, the city parks, every establishment that was currently in business, the skyway station and its suspended rails, and street signs. Sephiroth stopped for a moment to look in childish amazement.

Vincent shrugged. "She's alright."

"But Tifa's more up your alley."

"…Yes. But she's been busy lately. The new recruit…"

Sephiroth chuckled sarcastically and shook his head. "Him? He doesn't **need** a babysitter. He can more than handle himself."

"Tell that to the Director," Vincent answered.

No sooner had they gone past the toy store, they heard a flicking sound. The screen had turned on and become white. Vincent frowned slightly and Sephiroth approached it curiously. Some passersby stopped to watch for a moment. Then, a hand came out of the screen and reached toward the outside. A leg stepped out next, and a young girl strained and pulled herself out onto the sidewalk. Sephiroth laughed, but Vincent was not amused.

The pedestrians quickly continued on.

"It's still a little hard to get through, eh Yuffie?" Sephiroth teased.

"I didn't move fast enough!" Yuffie berated herself. "I totally screwed up. What a pain."

Vincent gave Yuffie a withering look, and she felt herself shrink a little.

"Miss Kisaragi," Vincent said sternly. "The transfer screens are only supposed to be used in case of an emergency. You should know better than…"

"If it wasn't an emergency, I wouldn't have bothered using it," she interrupted, straightening the collar of her matching coat. "Besides, I prefer walking."

"Why hasn’t the **Director** made contact with us?"

"Check with him and debrief me later. He says there's another bug outbreak on its way."

Vincent and Sephiroth went rigid, but Yuffie started to look upward at the buildings. She seemed very uneasy. The oblivious civilians simply walked around them.

"That's strange," she murmured. "The Director said he was going to activate the warning signal. What's with the delay?"

"But how does he know that an outbreak is coming?" Vincent asked skeptically. "You can't just predict that…"

But Sephiroth drew close to Yuffie and inquired, "Where's it gonna be?"

"Right here in Tobar Ace … but this crowd. Oh, why isn't the signal coming?"

Sephiroth uttered a decidedly profane word under his breath. But Vincent was suspicious.

"And how did the Director come to find out this information?" he asked her.

Yuffie frantically threw up her hands. "I dunno!"

The screen flicked again, and a woman quickly emerged from the light and ran into her from behind. Yuffie grunted in response and caught her footing before she could fall.

"I'm sorry!" the woman said quickly. But Yuffie wheeled around to meet her face, the woman's expression turned frosty, and all of the remorse flew out of her. She took one, very large step back.

"Oh, it's you," the woman deadpanned, and then to Vincent, "Reporting for duty, sir!"

She observed her surroundings and became perplexed. Yuffie shut her eyes tight and stuck out her tongue.

"Director Tuesti sent you, Tifa?" Vincent said.

"He said that there was a bug outbreak," Tifa replied, "And he called me on duty. The captain and the rest of the team are on stand-by. Though, he mentioned that a glitch in the system is causing a delay. But where are…"

Suddenly, the warning alarm sounded throughout the area. Dozens of holograms appeared all over Tobar Ace, all saying "ALERT" in bright red. Smaller holograms came into sight in the stores and in the midst of the crowd. Three colossal ones became visible from several feet above.

" **Attention, citizens!" a mechanical voice boomed.** (I don’t think this should be bold, as it is narration.) **"Attention, citizens! There is a bug outbreak heading towards Tobar Ace Circle…"**

Immediately, the shoppers sprung into action. Some began to run away from the area, a few hopped into their cars, and others poured into the safety of the closest building they could reach.

" **Please evacuate the area or go into the nearest building. Turn off all electronic devices. Do not go outdoors until the outbreak has been eradicated. I repeat…"**

Vincent yanked Yuffie by the collar and demanded, "Did he say how bad this is gonna go down?"

"I…"

A swarm of terrified screams erupted from the other side of the area. People were turning and running back from both sides and cramming into the opened doors of the shops. Others tripped and fell before disappearing under the feet of the crowd. The lights, both inside the stores and outside, started to blink on and off, and some of the bulbs exploded. An electric sign gave off sparks.

The four became alert and jumped onto the street, which was starting to clear. A terrible, inhuman roar resonated all around them.

As the team drew out their guns from inside their coats, Yuffie answered:

"Shouldn't be too bad. He said there were only ten of them…"

The source of the horror and mayhem read its ugly head. On both sides of Tobar Ace, a pack of large, ghastly, bluish forms came into view. And whatever they were, they were coming fast, combing through people who were trying to escape. The team braced themselves for confrontation.

"Tifa, Seph," Vincent said. "You cover the left. Yuffie and I will clean up the right."

The street was nearly clear. Vincent waved his hand roughly, and the team split up and took to their heels in the opposite directions.

Tifa overtook Sephiroth and was the first to have a good look at one of the creatures; though, it almost unnerved her. It was a repulsive, monstrous thing that appeared to be a cross between a bull and a bear. Its teeth were jagged, it had had horns on each side of its head, and its tail looked like a lizard's.

She remained firm, took aim, and fired a shot into creature's neck. Upon impact, the creature roared, and electricity and greenish blood erupted from wound. It fell to the ground and faded away into the nothing.

Meanwhile, another of the terrible pack whipped its tail around and struck one of the fleeing citizens. The unfortunate man screamed as he went flying through the air and crashed through a storefront window. Two teen girls were sitting crouched beside the store, and held each other's trembling bodies. They were too frightened to move.

Sephiroth ran to meet the creature, and it reared its ugly head and glowered straight at him. He open fired.

The monster charged him, dodging the bullets, and jumped several feet in the air; its mouth was wide open, and its teeth were a grotesque yellow. But before it could land on him, Sephiroth balled up his fist and swung a hard, right-hook into its face. It collided with a nearby building and fractured the stucco. He emptied two bullets into its head, and it expired and vanished.

An enraged creature came to attack and nearly smashed into him. Sephiroth jumped over his head, barely missing it, and landed on its back. He shot a bullet at point-blank range, and the bullet went right through its body. As it bellowed and fell forward, a third target caught Sephiroth's eye, and he leapt off of as it died.

He fired another fatal shot into the unsuspecting target and landed in a kneeling position on the ground. Out of the blue, he heard a growl coming right above him and looked up to see a creature that was jumping for a kill. His pistol was pointed the wrong way. Sephiroth groaned and prepared to punch it in the face.

But at the last minute, Tifa took a running dive and tackled it in the air. It landed hard and cracked the asphalt underneath, and Tifa bounced on top of it. She wrapped her arms around the creature's neck and snapped it neatly. It disappeared, and she sank to the ground.

The street was now clear; the citizens were either inside a shop, standing on the sidelines, or tending to a wounded person. Sephiroth noticed Tifa's gun lying on the ground and got up to retrieve it for her. She stood up, cracked her knuckles, and went to join him.

He handed over her gun. "Thanks for the save."

"I was just doing my job," Tifa answered plainly.

Their attention turned to the right side of Tobar Ace Circle. From a distance, they could see that Vincent and Yuffie were still dealing with a persistent remainder of the outbreak. Vincent grabbed it by horns, trying to hold it still, and Yuffie fired two rounds into it. It roared in pain but continued to struggle. Vincent briefly lost his grip on it, and it stood on its hind legs.

Instead of turning on them, the bug galloped away, trying to reach the sidewalk.

Yuffie squinted on eye and fired again, hitting in the flank, and it fell, losing its balance. Vincent ran after it, snatched its horns into a tighter grip, and pulled it down with all his might.

It was never a good idea to attempt a neck snap when the beast struggled. Tifa once compared the force of it to a loose fire hose.

"Come on," Sephiroth beckoned. "Let's go help 'em out."

Tifa nodded assent, and he went ahead of her. She started to go after him, but something caught her eye and made her stop. She swerved around and saw a man in a brown coat who was walking away from the scene. He stopped and turned to face her. He gave her a soft smile with a quick wink and went on his way.

Tifa felt a shiver go down her spine, and she ran to join her teammates. Yet, it made no difference. Yuffie had emptied half of her cartridge into the final creature (who had been a belligerent fiend from the very beginning) and it keeled over and dissipated.

"I thought it would never die!" Yuffie said in contempt.

“Yes, the alpha bug is always like that,” Vincent agreed.

Whenever more than six bugs appeared in an outbreak, there was always an alpha bug. The hardest one to take down. The one that had a semblance of intelligence. The rest of the bugs they had exterminated that night were merely its imperfect copies, created when it multiplied itself in cyberspace.

For the past three months, the team had been fighting stray copies that had branched off from their group. They had been eliminated with less fanfare _or_ collateral damage.

He saw that something had deferred Tifa from joining them. He put his hand on her shoulder, and Yuffie flinched in the background.

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked.

Tifa bit her lip and looked back. The man had already gone.

"Cloud," she told him. "Cloud was here again."

 

* * *

 

 _We'll always suffer for the sins of our ancestors. And yet, the world is always changing._ Aerith Gainsborough sighed in relief. The bug outbreak had ended as quickly as they had begun.

With a pile of novels at her chest, she stepped into an elevator and rode all the way to the ninety-seventh floor. The elevator shot up at an alarming rate, whizzing past several floors in a matter of seconds. She stood at the side, in case someone was to board with her. She exhaled a tiny breath and stretched her neck to sooth a tensing muscle. Her workload promised to be yet another all-nighter.

It had been three years since “the leftovers” had returned to the wilds. That's what everyone called the residual monsters that continued to linger in cyberspace. The curse of the Great Outbreak wouldn't end so easily. But like everyone else, Aerith continued to live in the wilds, and she did what she could do to help in the fight. And if being the secretary of the man who made it possible was helpful, then she was more than satisfied.

On her own, she was a tidy yet unassuming woman. Her make-up was barely noticeable on her pretty, striking face. Her green-rimmed glasses were polished clean. Her hair was arranged in a perfect French braid, even though it was well past eleven at night. Her skirt suit was plain and yellow but well tailored and crisp. Her blouse was cream-white and looked like new. She held the novels in a neat stack.

When the elevator stopped in the middle, she backed up and politely squeezed herself in the corner. The door slid open, and three personnel stepped inside. She acknowledged them with a nod but kept eye contact to a minimum.

Eye contact might have induced conversation, and low-level employees were too curious for their own good.

The elevator zipped about two-dozen floors up, and the workers got off. Aerith was left alone again. She nestled the books with one arm to see the time on her watch: half past eleven p.m. On a small screen above the button panel, the floor numbers accelerated.

83…

87…

92…

96…

The elevator skidded to a stop and opened again. Aerith stepped out and came face to face with a closed entrance of protected glass. There was a card slot on the wall. She took a programmed card out of her jacket pocket and pushed it all the way into the slot. There was a beep and the glass slid into the wall, revealing someone's living space, and the card was pushed out of the slot. She snatched it back and put it away as she entered.

The doors closed behind her, and Aerith removed her low-heeled shoes at the door and scooted them next to a pair of black loafers. She walked through the foyer and into a small hall, feeling the cool tile floor through her stockings.

She passed by a small, sitting room and peeked inside, searching for the resident. The room had beige painted walls and was lightly furnished with a hazel green loveseat, a matching wing chair, a shelf of books, and a mahogany coffee table. But it was vacant, so Aerith moved on.

At the end of the hall, there was a beautiful, old-fashioned grandfather clock. The rest of the condo was decked with conscious but modest antiquity. Aerith heard the sound of piano music wafting through the air.

She poked her head into the kitchen, smelled the aroma of baked pastries. A mechanical tea-making machine (which greatly resembled a machine for making coffee) had been turned on, and the tea was nearly finished steeping. The kitchen was dressed in warm colors of red counters, light orange walls, and burgundy cabinets and draws. The dining room was connected to it through an open threshold.

Next to the stove, a medium-sized, cinnamon dusted spice cake was sitting inside a glass container. Near it was an orange tray, a pair of lush teacups and matching saucers, and a china plate that was covered with a cloth napkin. By the smell in the air and lumps under the cloth, there was sure to be four-cheese muffins underneath.

Aerith licked her lips and knew that the baked goods were homemade. The resident wouldn't have anything else.

At last, she came to the great room, and she saw him. He, on the far end of the room, was lying on his side with his back turned to her. She approached him and wiggled her toes into the soft carpet of the room. Apparently, the carpet was his nest.

"Cloud?"

Cloud didn't budge, but she knew that he had heard. Aerith stopped only a few feet away from him and knelt down. She put the stack of books to rest on the floor and sat properly on her legs.

"Seven more of them came today," Aerith said. "A few of them quite interesting."

He stirred slightly, moving his head a little, but didn't face her.

"Really?" he asked curiously. "Mrs. Christie wrote a great deal more books than I thought."

"And more are still coming," she added.

"You don't have to work so hard for something so trivial."

Aerith shook her head dismissively and leaned over him. She observed his pale, clear skin and his small, well shapes ear. His eyes were half-shut, and he looked wistful.

"Nonsense," she replied. "It's nothing hard. Besides, it's my job to see to all of your needs… whether important, or not, or somewhere in between."

Cloud shifted his head further, and his face had an expression she couldn't read. Perhaps, it was either surprise or skepticism. And his eyes…

 _Such peculiar eyes,_ Aerith mused. _They remind me of the sky… it makes me want to visit the seaside in Havelock. They have such clear skies over there. And it compliments his face. Poor boy was probably teased in school for his looks... people can be insensitive like that._

A forlorn shadow came over him, and he looked away again. She frowned at the sudden change.

"Is something wrong?" she inquired.

"Not a good night," he muttered.

"What?"

"There were fifteen causalities in Tobar Ace."

Aerith fixed a grim look on her face and lowered her head. "I see."

"Five people are dead," Cloud stated. "And four of them were trampled to death by their own fellow citizens. And by tomorrow morning, one more will die in the hospital."

"Awful," Aerith whispered. "All because of that delay!"

"Hmm," Cloud agreed.

"I don't understand it," she said. "What happened to alarm system?"

Cloud rose from the floor and cocked his neck to the side, producing a light, cracking sound. He sat Indian style next to her and sighed tiredly.

"There's a virus lurking in the mainframe," he declared. “That’s the cause.”

Aerith's eyes flashed wide and her small mouth opened in a gasp. After a small pause, she swallowed air and collected herself. Cloud, nevertheless, remained poised and as calm as ever.

"I felt a massive, electrical force when the bugs started to manifest," he explained. "I know the virus won’t come out yet, but still… I was worried… so I went out to see the outcome. Nothing happened this time, but…"

Cloud grew silent. Aerith blinked in puzzlement.

"Cloud?"

"I keep sensing this force. It’s getting stronger."

Aerith started to become quiet as well. She clenched her fists on her lap, and her lips trembled anxiously.

"Cloud?"

"Y-yes, Miss Gainsborough?"

"Do you know when you'll be ready to take on your duties?"

“In the future, have you seen it? The day you'll be ready to take on your duties?”

"…That will probably happen when the virus appears… just as Mr. Tuesti said.

Aerith sighed. “It's shame you can't simply whip out a prediction on demand.”

In the distance, the tea machine finished its cycle and alerted them with a gentle beep. Cloud closed his eyes and nodded in agreement.

"Yes," he replied. "My foresight always did have a mind of its own."

Another pause ensued, and Cloud ignored the machine for a while. Suddenly, he shrugged and got up. He offered his hand to help her stand up.

"Oh well," he said. "There's no need to fuss over a bridge that can't be crossed yet."

Aerith slipped her hand into his and was pulled onto her legs again. She straightened out the wrinkles in her skirt. Cloud stooped down and picked up the stacks, and he browsed the title of the first book, _Evil Under the Sun_.

"And no point in getting sad over casualties," he said. "My grandfather always taught me that crying at a funeral is disrespect to the dead."

"I… never thought of it _that_ way," Aerith answered.

Cloud gave her a tiny smile and trotted towards the kitchen. The whistling noise was becoming irritating.

"Care to join me for tea?" he asked. She nodded eagerly, and he continued, "I know you're having an all-nighter, so I steeped one that has plenty of caffeine in it."

Aerith beamed in delight and felt some slight relief. She followed him into the kitchen. "Would you? That would help me a great deal."

Cloud beckoned Aerith to wait in the dining room and removed the glass pot from the machine. The scent was very potent.

"Mr. Tuesti has called an emergency meeting at six o'clock tomorrow," Aerith chattered away. "That's why I'll be up to my waist with work tonight."

"I know," he replied. "By the way, one of the team members saw me while I was at Tobar Ace. Tifa saw me."

Aerith grimaced in sympathy. "That's not good. You'll have Mr. Wallace jumping at your throat again."

Cloud chuckled a little, and as the kettle cooled down, he picked up the covered plate and whipped off the napkin. The two, large cheese muffins were golden brown and inviting. He held it out for her to take to the table.

Aerith clenched the plate in her hand, picked up a muffin, and bit into it. As she turned to go into the dining room, and as Cloud poured tea into the cups, he added:

"Also, make sure to tell Mr. Tuesti that there's going to be a major bug outbreak in Valonia this Friday."

Aerith gaped and whipped around dramatically, nearly dropping the plate.

"There's going to be… a what?!"

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, in a smaller dwelling unit in the building, Commander Barret Wallace sat back in a wingchair and sucked a cup of double espresso. His study was dimly lit.

He, a tall, stocky man in his early forties, was tense at best and very irritable, seen in the constant grinding of his teeth and the perpetual scowl fixed on his brow. His dark hair and eyes matched his mood perfectly.

Vincent, his second-in-command, sat across from him on a stool and was as stoic as usual. The coffee he had been given was barely drunk.

Barret grunted under his breath and grumbled, "Who does he think he is?"

"Whoever he is," Vincent answered, "he sure has a lot of gumption."

“What part of 'don't interfere' doesn't he understand?" he snarled, his voice rising in anger.

Vincent sipped some of his coffee and wrinkled his nose at the bitterness. He preferred milder blends.

"I don't think he cares," he suggested.

"Cocky…" Barret said, "Devil-may-care… the Director spoils him rotten! That's the problem. Always lets him slide."

"That's not fair," Vincent argued softly. "We don't know that much about him. Mr. Strife is quite a mystery to us."

"It is forbidden for inactive recruits to step onto an infected area unless authorized. Mr. Strife is still not authorized to do that… so, there's no excuse!"

"That may be true, however…"

Barret gave him a warning look, and Vincent buttoned his lip.

"This is the third time he's pulled this off," Barret recalled. "And every time I call him on the carpet… it’s like shouting at a brick wall…"

"He doesn't care," Vincent repeated.

Barret nodded assent. He tilted his head back and gulped the last of his coffee, which was now lukewarm.

"I'm guessing that tonight's tip came from him," Vincent decided.

Barret coughed. "Do you actually believe that?"

Vincent shrugged. "Mr. Tuesti says so. But so far, his so-called predictions have been right on."

"Predictions?! If he thinks everyone’s gonna fall for that garbage, he should come up with another story. No! Something else is going on."

In another part of Barret's home, a door opened, and a little girl stepped out into the hall. She rubbed her eyelids and let out a tiny yawn before slowly going on her way. Her short, brown hair was a mess, but her pink pajamas fluttered gracefully in the breeze.

The girl quickly went past the door of Barret's study; it was ajar, so she went unnoticed by the conversing men. She entered the kitchen, retrieved a stepladder that was wedged between the refrigerator and the counter, and used it to reach the cabinet for a cup. With a tumbler in hand, she went into the refrigerator and got out a carton of milk. She filled the glass halfway.

Afterwards, she responsibly put everything back where it belonged and left the kitchen to return to her bedroom.

However, when the girl walked past the study once more, her father called out, "You really think… a double agent”, and she stopped in her tracks. She stood near the door with her back against the wall.

"I thought about that," Vincent said, "but that’s not a possibility. I can’t accept this 'clairvoyant' business either, but our director says that _he's_ the informant. Mr. Tuesti wouldn't spin such a story without reason. A cover, perhaps? Do you think he has some sort of hidden agenda?”

“There's nothing to hide from us, is there?” Barret replied.

“Then let’s request more extensive information on Mr. Strife. I’m sure we’ll gain more clarity.”

She gasped and rushed back to her room, her milk almost splashing out of the cup. The girl stopped in front of her door, contemplating whether she really wanted to go back to sleep. She could still hear their voices coming from the study.

She slipped inside and sat in a chair in the corner of her room. Her stomach felt nauseous. With both hands clinging to her cup, she tilted her head back and drained it within seconds. She sucked in some air and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

The girl cleared her throat and came to a decision. She jumped off of the chair and marched toward her drawer to pick out something to wear.

 

* * *

 

A while later, the girl stood right in front of Cloud’s door and knocked. She waited impatiently, twiddling her thumbs, and sniffed pitifully. The door slid open, and Cloud towered over her and looked down.

“Marlene?” he asked in surprise. “What are you doing here? It’s almost midnight?!”

Marlene made a low, squeaking sound, and her eyes became watery with repressed tears.

“C-c-cloud!” she wailed. The poor girl practically jumped on him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his stomach. Cloud grunted in discomfort but reached out and touched her head.

“Alright,” he sighed, with a consoling smile. “What did your papa say about me **this** time?”

 


	3. II: Who are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> Dialogue between Cloud and Sephiroth has been revised (er... rewritten... during the car scene). As you'll probably notice from here on in, Seph has a personality that's even more chill, with changes and expansions on his backstory.
> 
> Additionally, I altered a bit of monologuing during the Titans 7 meeting, so it could make more sense...

The sins of our ancestors indeed.

It all began nearly fifty years ago with the invention of the screens. A marvelous invention, truly it was, but one that was created with little idea of the consequences. Using the power of cyberspace, the screens gave the world an precedented boon: a cybernetic portal that allowed one to instantly transport live matter from one end to the other. From one city to another. From one end of the globe to the other. As easily as if one were sending an e-mail.

It changed everything. At first, the usage of the screens was limited to military and political agendas. Within twenty years, it was being used by average citizens—transporting packages, goods, livestock, and even the citizens themselves. The world was moving faster.

But one day, a forgotten hacktivist group decided to infect a few screens with a virus. An apparent attack on a meat and fish company, an attempt to steal their mistreated livestock, to make them lose a crippling amount of merchandise. A display of power? A threat? No one knows for sure anymore. But no one could've guessed that such an act would have created something beyond anyone's understanding. Including the hackers themselves.

The results were disastrous. The virus... did something to the livestock. Infected them. Corrupted their bodies. Turned them into the monstrous bugs. Upon contact, the virus itself morphed into something else. It grew beyond the hackers' control.

The bugs traveled and came bursting out of any screen they could get through, multiplying at the virus' behest, and escaped into cyberspace, attacking the populace and leaving destruction in their wake. Cities toppled within days, and they became so overrun that the authorities realized they could not handle the crisis with armed forces. Airstrikes became a common method of dealing with the threat.

This series of events became known as The Great Outbreak. It lasted for two months. Mercifully, within the first few weeks of the disaster, the virus had been destroyed during the first airstrikes. Without their “mother”, the bugs receded on their own. Humanity picked itself up, mending its broken bones, and for the most part, was forced to start over again.

The threat of the virus was eradicated, but the bugs erupted from smaller outbreaks from time to time, causing more chaos. Destroying the screens did nothing to mitigate it. Five years after the Outbreak, the Larkin Foundation emerged, with the creation of the domes. Their domes offered protection from the danger; much of the world population flocked to them and built their cities. The rest refused continued on and thrived in spite of it all.

Three more years passed. A group of like minds learned and developed methods on how to combat the threat. They slowly became the organization known as Wilhelmina. They rose up to, giving increasing relief to the wilds. The dealing with outbreaks became a way of life. And it continued on.

In the interim, the screens steadily returned. They were bravely put back to work once again, but only for the use of the Wilhelmina Organization and the GUPTA Military Police. It was restricted, it was heavy protected, and it was only used in a state of emergency.

The way people figured it, “If the screens won't make anything worse now, why do without them?”

Life continued on.

Even when the outbreaks suddenly stopped.

For a time, the virus' and their bugs ceased to recur all over the wilds. The populace, at first, didn't believe they had seen the last of the monsters. So, they watched. And they waited. For months. For years. But for nearly two decades, nothing happened at all.

The wilds settled into a state of peace. They built new towns, expanded, and thrived. Dome citizens became more willing to migrate there, feeling unfulfilled and repressed in their pristine homes.

With supposedly nothing left to fight, Wilhelmina transitioned from a defense organization to an association of technological development(and for those who believed what rumors suggested, a spy network). Time went by. All seemed well...

Until the conflict began anew, when a second virus emerged in the city of Marit, jumping out of an electronic billboard in downtown.

It was not like the first virus. It was smaller, weaker, and not nearly as robust. But it was destructive all the same. And with it came another horde of bugs. GUPTA, with the support of Wilhelmina, managed to face and defeat the menace, containing it within Marit, but there were many casualties.

The danger and the fear had returned, but in time, the citizens once again began to treat it as a permanent fixture. Many people just shrugged their shoulders, having come to accept that the threat was not over (and probably never would be). So Wilhelmina brushed away the dust from its old weapons, rolled up her proverbial sleeves, and went back to its original work. And this time, she was far more prepared than ever.

Two years after the second virus appeared, Wilhelmina formed a small squad known as the Titans 7, an elite group of individuals enhanced to assist with the outbreaks. After that, casualties were starkly reduced, and pressure was taken off of GUPTA's back.

The Titans 7 did not escape without some criticism. Ignoring its rather odd choice of name, a person might also say that it was an informal, motley sort of team... and they wouldn't be wrong. Still, it was an effective team none the less. One that saved (and will continue to save) many lives.

00000

And currently, a certain member of Titans 7, the lovely Tifa Lockheart, was having difficulty getting her beauty sleep.

Ordinarily, after having to fight the bugs, she would easily be able to curl up in bed and have a good night’s rest. In fact, sometimes, she wouldn’t even make it to the bed. But tonight, despite feeling drowsy, she couldn’t find it in herself to shut her eyes.

And the reason?

“I don’t get it,” she mumbled. “What was with that smile? Was something funny to you?”

She wanted to correct Barret, to tell him that Cloud was by no means the conceited person he imagined him to be. But how could she explain when she didn't understand it herself?

And how on earth did the Director find a seer for the organization?

Barret, of course, outright rejected the idea and continued to do so. Yuffie initially brushed it off as nonsense or some kind of secret ploy, but after a few weeks of denial, his continued predictions gave her all the proof she needed.

_She had walked up to him one day, cowering while he and Tifa were lunching at the headquarter's cafeteria. She hung her head low and presented him with a large apple pie as if he were a god accepting a blood sacrifice (she assured him that the store had freshly baked it that very morning)._

“ _I'm believe,” she chanted, nodding her head frantically. “I believe, I believe, I believe, I believe! I'm sorry for making fun of you and calling you a liar! Please don't hex me!” She seemed to almost be in tears._

_Tifa face-palmed. Cloud stared hard at her for a moment, wide-eyed and shocked, but then, he snorted and burst out laughing. “Relax Miss Kisaragi. I'm a clairvoyant. Not a witch!”_

  
  


He had still accepted the pie and the apology.

Meanwhile, Vincent chose to have a more respectful attitude on the subject, but from what she could tell, he couldn't bring himself to accept it either. Tifa chose not to mention it.

 _Think of Vince,_ she told herself. _Just think of_ … _you want to go with him to the movies tonight, right?_

As for Sephiroth and herself, they had been far more receptive to the truth than anyone else on the team. In Tifa's case, she had grown up fully aware that clairvoyance was a very real thing, thanks to her aunt, a researcher who spent her life studying the phenomenon. Nevertheless, they had both initially maintained a reasonable level of skepticism. Her aunt had encountered frauds many times before. But she kept in mind that Mr. Tuesti stood by Cloud's genuineness one hundred percent, and she had never pegged him for being the type to believe in the supernatural. Mr. Tuesti was no liar (at least by commission), and he was no fool.

The truth didn't stay unproven for long.

On a certain night, Cloud caught wind that Sephiroth was going on a date with his wife and advised them to walk instead of driving to the restaurant. They avoided a serious traffic accident in the area.

And then, there was that incident two weeks after he had arrived…

  
  


_She had been trying to find her pass, the one that let her into Cloud's apartment. She'd looked in her drawers, under her bed, in the pockets of her team coat and her other jackets. She kept looking until Cloud suddenly called on her cell phone._

_"It's in your dirty laundry," he told her._

_"My laundry?" she replied, thinking it was ridiculous._

_"I don't know why," he continued, "But you'll find it there. Trust me. And don't wear heels. Otherwise, you'll regret it."_

_She had looked inside her hamper and found it in a pair of dirty jeans. She had taken a shower after visiting on the night before last and forgot to take it out. But she ignored the warning, wanting to test him, and kept on the pair of green pumps she was wearing. She arrived smugly at his front door._

_Cloud was not mocked. He answered her questions and sent her off with a bag of muffins and (by his own insistence)_ _a pair of one of his flip flops. She then returned to her living space to prepare for a date with Vincent, found herself running to catch an elevator before it closed_ … _and broke one of her precious green heels. She put on the flip flops and accepted defeat._

_"I'll bet you're gonna say I told you so," she grumbled the next day. She had returned to his apartment and showed the heels to him._

_Cloud shook his head and replied. "If I said that to everyone who didn't listen to me, I'd be hated even more. And I'm sure you can get them fixed, can't you?"_

 

Cloud was an enigma, a surprise. She could never figure out what went on in that head of his.He cared nothing for what people thought or suspected. He was nice enough, overly generous with his deliciously weird food… and he was always ready to do whatever he thought he had to do, consequences be damned.

 

He was open, yet he had secrets. He was confident, but he was reckless. He had drive, and he'd happily drive you insane.

And sometimes, just sometimes, his laughing smiles didn't reach his eyes.

How strange, for a seer to suddenly show up in her world again. In a place like this. It was laughable. It was too strange to be coincidence. She confronted Mr. Tuesti on the matter, but ended up leaving his office without a satisfying answer.

And why? Why was Cloud smiling like that? It wasn’t the calm, blank smirk that he fixed when Barret chewed him out, nor was it the polite beam on his face when Mr. Tuesti or Uma greeted him. It had an emotion to it that she couldn’t describe.

But at that time, in that brief moment, Tifa had seen what appeared to be… a smile definitely filled with a warm, overwhelming kindness. And it was so striking that it had unsettled her.

Tifa shook her head dismissively. _Why am I wasting my time thinking about that weirdo? I need to sleep!_

So, she closed her eyes, took deep breaths, and made herself lie completely still. Her muscles relaxed, and her drowsiness began to overcome her…

_And why does he keep refusing to wear the team coat?_

It promised to be a very long night.

00000

At about six in the morning, at Wilhelmina headquarters, the meeting room was occupied, and the table was almost full, but it was lacking the core leadership.

Barret sat in the far left end of the table. He was glowering. Next to him sat Vincent, phlegmatic as usual.

“So Marlene snuck out,” Vincent said. “Again.”

“Yeah,” Barret grumbled. “Went right up to you-know-who.”

“If you don't like him,” his right hand asked, “then why did you let her go with him?”

Barret shrugged in defeat. “The last time I refused, she didn't speak to me for a three days straight.”

Yuffie was perched two seats away from him and was still reeling from the events that happened before she went to sleep; her eyes shone earnestly, and her fingers tapped ceaselessly on the table. Tifa, who covered her mouth and yawned, was on her right. The two seats were empty.

"There was plenty of collateral damage," Barret finally reflected.

"Unfortunately," Vincent replied. “The crowd was panicked. There was nothing we could do about it.”

But eventually, all attention was drawn by one thing that seemed out of place; there was a large, square, paper box in the middle of the table. Beside it, there was a stack of paper plates, a stack of plastic cups, fancy napkins, and a covered pitcher of dark, iced tea. A small envelope sat on top of it.

No one knew where these things had come from. No one knew why.

The door automatically slid open, and Aerith entered the room, holding a silver thermos under her arm. She filled the seat next to Yuffie, made herself comfortable, and opened the thermos to sip on it. Yuffie sniffed the air and simpered.

"All-nighter again, Aerith?" Yuffie drawled in amusement. "What kind of coffee are you drinking today?"

Aerith side-glanced her and narrowed her eyes. She prolonged her retort and drank a healthy dose of whatever was in the thermos. She coughed for emphasis.

"In this organization, I prefer to be addressed properly, Miss Kisaragi," Aerith scolded teasingly. "Since your memory is rather faulty, I will remind you that it’s Miss Gainsborough."

Yuffie winced slightly. "Ouch!"

"And for your information," she continued, "There isn't a drop of coffee in this thermos. And no, you still can't have any."

"Double ouch," Tifa whispered.

The door opened in the background and was scarcely noticed. Director Reeve Tuesti, dressed in a navy blue business suit, entered the meeting room and pulled out the last seat.

"Ah, don't be mean," Yuffie whined to Aerith.

Tuesti cleared his throat, and the table calmed down. The team stood up from their seats and saluted him.

"Good morning, Director," they chimed simultaneously.

"Good morning, Titans 7," he replied.

He sat down to the table, and they lowered back into their chairs. Seeing that all eyes were on him, he was pleased to start.

"The purpose of this emergency meeting," Tuesti said, "Is to review the recent bug activity that has occurred over the past month… and to focus on future outbreaks that _will_ occur in the near future…"

“Wait a minute,” Barret interrupted.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Wallace?” Tuesti asked.

“Mr. Bentley hasn’t showed up yet.”

“That’s fine! He doesn’t need to attend today.”

Barret froze in his seat, completely bewildered.

Tuesti turned his attention to a small panel of square-shaped touch sensors that were in front of him on the table. He pressed two different ones in succession; the lights flicked off, and in its place, a group of holographic images appeared over the table.

The images displayed a series of various and hideous creatures, mostly warped and perverted in features. One in particular showcased a huge, formidable monster that resembled a white serpent with bony legs.

"These are images," he said, "Taken of the current wave of bug outbreaks we have been facing for the past month. I'm sure you recognize them by now, but note some of the features up close. We are better prepared this time around, but be on your guard. Don't forget the matter of V-34, the virus that attacked Rona four months ago. The city suffered heavy casualties, so I'm sure _all_ of you remember it."

Most of the table nodded gravely in response.

Tuesti pressed another button, and the holograms changed. This time, the images showcased the monsters that the team had encountered the night before.

“As you already know,” he said. “This is the new bug that we have encountered for the second time. The researchers have named this monster B-6 for future reference. We have a strong lead that it will resurface again in the city of Valonia…”

 

00000

 

_Cloud looked and realized, with slight surprise, that all he could see was endless black. He was holding a bag of groceries under his arm._

_At first he couldn’t hear anything. It was as he had been placed in a soundproof bubble… or rather, he had been sucked into a black hole without knowing it. There was nothing in this place, but for some reason, Cloud knew that it wasn’t empty._

_**This place** _ _, he declared,_ _**is not nothingness.** _

_Cloud heard a light, roaring sound and turned to face it. Behind him, in the distance, he saw the form of a strange creature. Its body was large and appeared to be feline_ in nature, and it was like a pillar of light. Cloud gaped, but he recognized this creature right away.

“ _It’s you,” he whispered._

_The creature stood there and only looked him in the eye. Cloud smirked like a small child._

“ _Sorry,” he apologized. “I’m shopping right now. Can we talk later?”_

_The creature raised its head. It made a low, guttural sound and turned its large body around._

“ _Very well then,” it spoke in a disembodied voice. “Later.”_

_Cloud watched as it retreated into the darkness. As it got further and further away, its body began to fade. Soon, the creature had completely disappeared._

“Cloud? Cloud? Are you there?”

Sephiroth was shaking him vigorously by the shoulder, and Marlene was tugging at his sleeve. Her cute face was half-covered in a scarf. Cloud’s eyes refocused, and the dark world vanished. Now, he was back in the marketplace, and it was barely after six; it was almost sunrise. He was currently observing a stand of freshly caught, wild sockeye salmon. The vendor was busy wrapping up their purchases.

Cloud chuckled.

“You did it again,” Sephiroth said, frowning in concern.

“Did what?” Cloud asked cluelessly.

“That’s the third time you’ve spaced out like that,” the older man replied.

Cloud shrugged. “Don’t worry. It was nothing serious.”

“Were you having a vision or something?”

Cloud squinted his eyes in thought and tilted his head forward. Marlene cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

“Not exactly,” he replied innocently. “I think I… I’m not sure what I saw just yet.”

Sephiroth shook his head and grinned wearily. “There’s no use getting worked up over you… Madame Strife.”

“And all I need is a crystal ball,” Cloud retorted wryly.

“Eh?” Marlene chirped.

The vendor slapped down two packaged fish onto the table, signaling that it was time to pay up. Cloud and Sephiroth pulled out their wallets and handed over the cash. The vendor counted with the expertise of a bank clerk and nodded in approval. The odd trio gave their goodbyes and went on their way.

“Now, I’d like to buy some clams and sea bass for the fish stew pie I’m making,” Cloud declared.

“Why is it that you’re able to make weird sounding food?” Sephiroth asked. “And still make it taste great?”

Cloud’s lips curled up smugly. “It’s a talent.”

“And how did you come up with the tomato-three cheese cobbler?”

“That was a whim and a lucky guess.”

“And the chocolate cucumber cake?”

“Actually, that’s a recipe I picked up in Quiterie.”

Marlene, meanwhile, had her attention trained on a stand that was selling live lobsters and crabs. Cloud noticed.

“Sorry, Marlene,” he told her. “That’s not in my budget.”

“But Mr. Tuesti says you can buy whatever you want,” she protested.

“My budget is based on the size of my refrigerator… not his cash flow.”

Marlene pouted in defeat, and they walked on. The shellfish stand was several yards away.

“And while I’m asking questions,” Sephiroth said, “why are you calmly thinking about cooking the next dish when you’ve just predicted that a massive, 40-bug outbreak is gonna hit in Valonia on Friday?”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Cloud asked.

Sephiroth shuddered slightly. “I have to say it. You've got balls.”

Cloud readjusted the bag of groceries under his arm, now heavier because of the salmon. Marlene had gotten over her crustacean fixation and was now looking at some food stands. She tugged Cloud’s coat and pointed out a certain restaurant stand. The customers were being served cooked fish, rice, and eggs. They stopped, considering the chance.

“A Japanese-style breakfast,” Sephiroth realized. “I think I heard about this stand.”

“We could circle back after we’re done,” Cloud offered. “They don't close 'til eleven.”

“Could we eat now?” Marlene pleaded. “We didn’t eat breakfast.”

Cloud pinched his chin, mulling it over in his mind. His stomach felt awfully hollow, and the clams could wait. Not only that, he wanted more time to figure out whether he’d buy mussels too. And besides…

_Lucy is going to want something unusual today._

“Why don’t we…” he began.

“Hey, Spiky! Half-pint!”

The trio turned around and saw a scruffy looking man coming towards them. Marlene grinned from ear to ear, giggling in delight. Sephiroth leaned close to Cloud and asked,

“Who’s he?”

“A friend,” Cloud answered, waving to the approaching man. As soon as the man came close, he greeted “Hello, Cid. How’d your trip go?”

Cid closed in and wrapped a friendly arm around Cloud’s neck. “Went like a dream! I am _glad_ to see you! You’re headed towards that clam spot, right?”

Cloud nodded affirmatively. Cid let go of him and formed his arms into an X.

“Skip it,” he warned. “The prices are outrageous this time!”

“Is there a better place?” Cloud asked.

“Yeah, a little further up ahead.”

“Thanks. Take me there, please.”

Cloud side-glanced Sephiroth and said, “Let’s come back.”

Cid briefly acknowledged Sephiroth, and they introduced each other and shook hands. Marlene walked up to him, her arms outstretched. Cid hoisted her up in the air and sat her on his shoulders. He stepped in front of them and swayed from side to side. Marlene started to sing.

 

_Row, row, row your boat_

_Gently down the stream_

_Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily_

_Life is but a dream!_

 

_Row, row, row your…_

 

While the two were busy leading the way, Cloud took the opportunity to speak with Sephiroth privately.

“Actually, there’s something else that the rest of Titans 7 doesn’t know.”

Sephiroth stared him, but Cloud kept his eyes forward.

“What’s that?” he asked, very intrigued.

“Before the outbreak on Friday,” Cloud revealed, “there’s going to be another one in Rona. Twenty strong.”

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows in surprise. “And why haven’t you told anyone?” he asked.

“I’ve already told Mr. Tuesti,” Cloud placated him. “He knows.”

“But the rest of the team doesn’t?” he asked incredulously.

Cloud finally gave him eye contact, for just a short moment. Sephiroth saw that CLoud wasn't smiling. He had suddenly become serious. “That’s because… there’s something that Mr. Tuesti and I want _you_ to do. If the rest of the team came, it would hinder what he wants to accomplish.”

Then, he brought his eyes forward once more and smiled as the happy duet sang together in unison.

“Me?” Sephiroth replied, growing even more curious.

Cloud smirked devilishly. “It’ll be fun. Trust me.”

 

00000

 

The meeting back at headquarters came to a conclusion. The lights were turned back on, and the Titans 7 were finally relieved from the endless slough of grotesque holograms and charts. Now, all that remained was the mystery of the box.

By now, most had decided that something edible was definitely inside.

Aerith put the envelope to the side and opened the box. She reached into it and carefully pulled out a cinnamon-dusted spice cake and a knife. Yuffie cooed in excitement. Barret frowned. “I take it _that_ came from Cloud,” he said, grimacing.

“Ah, yes!” Tuesti said gladly. “He’s still keeping himself busy with that.”

But the cake had one visible flaw: a piece had already been wedged out of it.

“Before we can dig in,” Aerith said, “we’re supposed to read this letter.”

“A letter from Spiky,” Yuffie muttered under her breath. “This ought to be good!”

Mr. Tuesti sat back and awaited the eventual fireworks. Aerith opened the envelope and took out a sheet of light blue paper. She unfolded it, cleared her throat, and read:

 

_Good morning Titans 7,_

 

_And especially, good morning to you, Mr. Wallace._

_You’re all probably wondering why I’ve already taken a slice out of this cake. Originally, this was not my plan, but do to unforeseeable circumstances that even I couldn’t predict, I was forced to do so. Why? To make a long story short, it’s your fault, Mr. Wallace._

 

Barret hissed through his teeth in annoyance. The table became dead silent.

 

_You are probably shocked as to why I’d say this, so I’ll explain. You see, Mr. Wallace, at a quarter past midnight, a certain seven-year-old girl came to my apartment in tears. So, naturally I had to placate her. Unfortunately, I had just run out of cookies, I couldn’t feed the poor girl my three cheese muffins (she’s allergic to one of the ingredients), and everything else in the refrigerator wasn’t an option. So, I had no choice but to give her some cake._

_At this time,_ _I would like to thank Mr. Valentine for deciding that I’m not a double agent._

 

Vincent stiffened in embarrassment. _She's been eavesdropping!_

 

_Please try not to misunderstand, Mr. Wallace. I am not trying to be disrespectful, nor am I attempting to undermine your authority. I am simply the type of person who prefers to do what must be done no matter what the cost… even if it means stepping on your toes._

_Also, I would like to bring to your attention that I have_ _**NOT** _ _, nor have I ever, violated the rules. You keep insisting that an inactive recruit is not allowed to step onto an infected area unless authorized. However, there is a slight error in you thinking. According to the written rule,_ _**‘An inactive member is not allowed, under any circumstance, to enter an area** _ _ **after** _ _**it has been declared infected unless authorized. This action could risk his or her safety, since bugs are easily attracted and hostile towards anti-bug matter.’** _ _However, at the time that Tobar Ace was declared an infected area, I was already present at a café. If you would actually look further into the past incidents, you would also find that I am always present before the outbreak begins. If you are not satisfied with my explanation, you may fish out all of the witnesses as needed._

_I know it’s a loophole, but that’s the fact of the matter. And if you must know, a certain someone in the company suggested it to me. Again, please don’t misunderstand. I don’t observe these battles because I get a kick out it (well, maybe a little, but only after I got used to looking at those hideous creatures). I am simply trying to understand an event that will occur in the near future. But since you still deny my clairvoyance, I won’t bother getting into it._

_Though, I find that strange. You acknowledge that the advanced warnings are accurate, and yet, you can’t accept my abilities._

_If, after reading this, you still have a problem with my conduct, feel free to send Miss Lockheart to me with your complaints. Miss Lockheart, I will probably be taking a nap on the balcony when you come for me; I had very little sleep last night._

 

_Sincerely yours,_

_Cloud Strife_

 

The entire team was shocked. Mr. Tuesti sat back with a slight smile on his face. Aerith did her best to keep from laughing.

“That’s a long and fancy way of saying ‘piss off’,” Yuffie stated.

“He’s right,” Vincent said, resigned. “If he was there before it started, then technically, he hasn’t broken the rules.”

“But he doesn’t have to be so damned cheeky about it!” Barret protested. “And who taught him that loophole anyway?”

Aerith raised her hand and replied, “That would be me.”

“You?!” he blanched.

“So, it _was_ you,” Mr. Tuesti said, staring at her.

“Any objections, sir?” she asked cautiously.

The Director shook his head. “Oh, no. If that’s his purpose, I don’t see any reason to stop him.”

And that was that. Yuffie, who had grown weary of the topic, grabbed the knife and dug into the cake.

“Ahhh, well!” she sang. “No use dwelling on it.”

Barret facepalmed, beaten but not defeated.

Mr. Tuesti and Aerith exchanged serious, furtive glances. They would have much to discuss later.

 

00000

 

Back at the fisherman’s wharf market, Cloud was busy examining the sea bass that Cid had to offer him. On the other side of the large table, Cid’ wife, Shera, was busy deboning someone else’s order.

Shera almost seemed like a typical, old-fashioned housewife, with her hair tied up in a bun, a gingham apron tied around her, and a baby strapped firmly to her back. Her coke-bottle glasses were the only unusual feature on her plain but charming face. Sephiroth observed the baby with keen interest.

“How about this one?” Marlene asked, pointing to large fish. “This one looks good to me.”

Cloud stopped to look at it. “Hmmmmm.”

“The squirt’s got a good eye,” Cid commented.

“I’ll take it,” Cloud replied.

Cid called to another person who was working behind the stand, and they dug the fish out to prepare it. He walked over to his wife and lightly tickled the baby. Sephiroth sheepishly averted his eyes.

“Glad I took you to the other stand?” Cid asked Cloud, as he returned.

“Yes, thanks,” Cloud answered. “The prices are great. And I liked the mussels they shucked.”

“It’ll make a good fish stew pie, I’ll tell you that. I can smell it already.”

“If you stop by my place, I’ll make a pie or two for your crew.”

“Well, in that case, we’ll bring another one with us.”

“I get the first taste test!” Marlene insisted.

The adults laughed, and Marlene grinned triumphantly. Cloud stroked her head.

After another lengthy, but unimportant conversation, the fish was cleaned and wrapped. Cloud bought it for a reasonable price, and the trio said their reluctant goodbyes.

“Shera and I’ll be there!” Cid shouted to their retreating forms. “Just you wait!”

Cloud turned his head and only smiled (he couldn’t wave with the new bags).

 

00000

 

After loading the car, the trio got in and drove back to headquarters. Sephiroth drove. The car entered the freeway and cruised right by the ocean. Marlene sat in the back, with a bundle of Japanese breakfasts to go on her lap. The view was on Cloud’s side of the car.

“Let’s make a couple more stops,” Cloud decided.

“Where to?” Sephiroth asked eagerly.

“I want you to buy Lucy a beautiful bouquet of flowers and one large bottle of perfume.”

Sephiroth gave him a questioning look but didn’t bother asking. He had quickly learned never to second-guess Cloud’s random advice.

“No need to ask,” he replied. “I like giving her presents.”

“And how is she?” Cloud asked. “With the baby and all?”

Sephiroth smiled. “Perfectly healthy. Perfectly normal.”

For a moment, there was silence. In the back, Marlene sniffed longingly at the smell of the food.

Cloud sighed and stared at the ocean. In the past month and a half, he had had the pleasure of seeing the water for the very first time in his life. He was glad that his new home had a great panorama.

“Who are you really?” Sephiroth asked.

Cloud took his eyes from the view and looked at his friend. He simpered and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Are you _really_ a member of Titans 7?”

Cloud rested his cheek in the palm of his hands, his smile and his eyes growing wider. “Who knows?”

Sephiroth puffed air through his nose, knowing that he wouldn’t get a straight answer.

“I’m not sure if I should mention this,” he said, “but I think I’ve caught on to something.”

“And what’s that?” Cloud asked playfully.

“Are you related to Dr. Enoch Strife?”

Cloud’s smile vanished, and he thinned out his lips.

“Sorry,” Sephiroth muttered. “It’s none of my business, but...”

“He’s my grandfather,” Cloud confessed readily.

Sephiroth went silent for a moment. It wasn't precisely what he expected, but the explanation didn't surprise him. “You’re… grandfather,” he said slowly.

“You’re… grandfather,” he said slowly.

Cloud allowed himself a tiny smirk and nodded. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? My grandfather was one of the very key scientist who developed the Cameo-Dome system to replace the old system, and yet, here I am. Living in the wilds.”

“He must be rolling in his grave,” mused Sephiroth.

But Cloud shook his head, disagreeing. “No, my grandfather hated the domes. He told me so himself.”

Sephiroth turned to him, bunching his eyebrows. Dr. Strife, the very man who designed the cameos and redefined the dome system, hated the very system he helped create? To him, it was like trying to figure out an equation that said ‘x+y=chicken feathers’.

“I know that sounds strange,” Cloud admitted. “I’d like to explain it to you, but at the moment, I’d be saying too much. Mr. Tuesti… he’s instructed me not to say things.”

“That’s not hard to belief,” he agreed. “That man has more secrets than a woman's purse.”

Cloud snickered under his breath. Meanwhile, Marlene hugged her burden, slightly perplexed by the conversation.

“How are you doing back there, Marlene?” Cloud asked, craning his head to see her.

“Okie-dokey!” she sang.

Sephiroth took an exit into the city. They were headed to the dreaded Tobar Ace Circle. “One more question. Do you know why you were killed?”

Cloud tapped lightly on the car window. “I’ll answer that question if you answer three of mine.”

“Fair enough.”

“Alright. First of all, are you asking because Mr. Wallace wants to know… or are you simply curious?”

Sephiroth didn’t answer at first, mostly because he was spinning the steering wheel to make a sharp turn. Marlene swayed in the backseat but managed to keep the food balanced.

“Neither,” he responded. “Mel didn’t order me, and it’s not because of plain curiosity. I’m only trying to comprehend you, that’s all.”

Cloud hummed, satisfied with his answer. “Okay. As for my second question, it's a little more intrusive. When you first met Lucy, during your previous job, was it serious right off the bat?”

Sephiroth scoffed at the thought. “It's never serious,” he replied. “Not at first. When we met, it was only through friendly business with a dash of flirting to season the deal. She was collecting information on behalf of Wilhelmina, and was I delivering the goods... we had coffee and chit-chat... and after a month or two, coffee and chit-chat had turned into... something else. ”

“How romantic!” Marlene crooned.

Sephiroth risked a few seconds of taking his eyes off the road, shooting her an amused glance. “Quiet back there.”

Marlene covered her eyes and giggled.

“Here's my last question then. When you go out on a hunt, do you enjoy killing bugs?”

Sephiroth blinked, thinking about it for a moment. The light at the end of the tunnel was growing larger. A smirk slithered on his lips.

“Absolutely.”

“I knew it.”

Cloud stretched lightly and yawned a little. “I really do need a nap. Alright then. As for your question… why was I killed? That’s something that you and I have in common. We were both assassinated by the Larkin Foundation. They were afraid of the information that we had to offer. I created an extra problem for them. I had something that... 'belonged' to them.”

“Judging that you _are_ Dr. Kosti’s grandson,” Sephiroth surmised, “that’s not a surprise. This 'something'... you still have it?”

“Not on me. I relinquished that to Mr. Ambrose discretion.”

“That important? So... that's the real reason you died. Didn't mention it in your profile.”

“Well, there's more to it than that.”

“What else is there?”

“Ultimately, I was killed because of Grandfather's legacy. His plans. His hopes for the future. But I suppose I don't mind. It's all been rather fascinating.”

“Speaking of future, I'm almost surprised you didn't predict it. Shame you didn't get any fair warning.”

Cloud smiled grimly. “Actually, I did.”

Sephiroth drove the car into a tunnel. Cloud folded his hands behind his back and stared at the fleeting rectangles of light. The tunnel lights flitted around in the car, turning the inside into a dull kaleidoscope. The traffic was slowing down their progress.

“Why didn’t you try to get away?” asked Sephiroth. “Why didn't you fight it?”

“Because,” Cloud replied, “there are only two kinds of predictions. Those that are warnings, and those that are for preparation. Those that can be prevented, and those that are inevitable. What happened to me was most definitely inevitable. But it didn’t bother me. I already knew that I would wake up safely in this new body. And besides, it was rather… convenient. It saved me the trouble of having to travel so long from Quiterie, and it was already decided that I’d convert my body when I arrived here.”

“Are you saying…” his companion hesitated. “You're saying that your _goal_ was to become a part of Wilhelmina? Did you actually _want_ this kind of life?”

“Yes, I did.”

“…Why?”

Marlene, once again, was lost in the conversation.

“Seph, can I ask you another personal question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Have you ever had a dream? Something that you wanted to do more than anything else in the world?”

“A dream?”

Cloud nodded.

“Well, of course,” Sephiroth replied, without having to think. “When I was a child, I read all the mystery books I could get my hands on. I wanted to be a detective. But as you already know, I ended up working for a newspaper.” He sighed and then mused, “Then again, the newspaper I worked for turned out to be a front for an information company. I joined the dark side right away. Being an information broker... wasn't all that different from being a detective. I still had to detect facts that people were trying to hide.”

“Pay's probably better too,” Cloud noted.

“ _Ridiculously_ so.”

Cloud tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes. “You definitely think like a detective. Questioning me for answers. Puzzling it in your head. Ultimately, what you’re trying to find out isn’t just to understand me. You also want know what Mr. Tuesti is up to.”

Sephiroth grew silent, not entirely sure what to say to that. Light was now looming in front of them.

“Tell me,” Cloud said, “do you know the three secrets to realizing your dream?”

“Talent,” Sephiroth replied. “Luck. And unrelenting patience. That's one of the first things my mother ever taught me.”

Cloud opened his eyes as the car reached the other side of the tunnel. The car was flooded with light again, and the ocean view was behind them.

“That was one the first things Grandfather taught me.”

“That's only natural,” he said. “My mother... she worked under Dr. Kosti. He was her idol.”

“I know,” Cloud sang. He wagged his head with a cheeky grin.

Sephiroth chuckled in amusement. “It seems you and I are more connected that I thought.”

 

00000

 

Mrs. Lucille Bentley (née Nylund) worked diligently on her next article. Or at least tried to. Her laptop screen stared her smack in the face, and she had stopped typing again for the umpteenth time. She didn’t know what to write next.

Perhaps, Lucy considered, she was unable to write because it was a special day. It didn’t help that a certain someone continuously distracted her by exercising in her belly. She looked at the time in the corner of the screen and sighed hopefully. Her husband should be coming back from his meeting soon. She hoped it hadn’t been too unpleasant.

Her own train of thought surprised her. Here she was, trying to do her job, and all she could think about was him. She was always, constantly, thinking about him.

 _I’ve changed,_ Lucy thought. _I really have changed._

And she knew that it had been for the better.

Lucy still felt very hungry, even though she had eaten a light breakfast. She had been craving something exotic and tasty, not the ordinary eggs and toast or mushy oatmeal. There was hardly anything fattening in their kitchen; she had made a consorted effort to keep unhealthy food outside. Not to mention that she had eaten up all of the fish faster than her husband could buy it.

Lucy closed her laptop, letting it go into hibernate, strained to get out of her chair, her back aching a little, and lightly touched the growing mound beneath her chest. She took off her scrunchie, letting her dark hair fall down her back, and scratched her head.

“Why fish?” she asked herself. “Why does it have to be fish? I don’t even like fish. Seph’s the one who eats fish!”

The kitchen was sterile but very colorful, with blues, dark gray, beige, and stainless steel. It had plenty of room for her to move around. She opened the refrigerator, hoping to finally have clearer options, but for all her choices, Lucy was sorely disappointed. Everything seemed so bland.

But the fruit salad looked somewhat promising.

“That’ll do,” she decided.

She took out the container of fruit salad and closed the refrigerator. She opened a cabinet and picked out a cereal bowl.

_Maybe, I should rethink my strict diet and buy that cherry chunk ice cream…_

Lucy heard the mechanical click of the lock at the door. The door was opened, and she heard voices. Among them, her husband was there. She left everything lie on the counter and walked out of the kitchen to join them.

 _You had better remember what day it is, Seph!_ she hoped. _Otherwise, you’re in big trouble!_

 

00000

 

The trio filed into the apartment in a straight line; Sephiroth was in the lead, and Marlene was the caboose. With them, the two adults carried paper bags of fish and other groceries they had picked up along the way. Marlene held fast to the breakfast and the bouquet of sunflowers that Sephiroth had picked out.

“Lucy really likes her sunflowers,” Cloud commented.

“I know,” Sephiroth replied. “You wouldn’t expect it from her, would you?”

Lucy came around the corner of the hall with a bright smile on her face. “You’re back! How did the meeting go?”

“I didn’t go,” Sephiroth replied.

Lucy looked at him perplexed, and craned her head slightly, noticing Cloud behind him. Cloud gave her a toothy grin.

“Let me help you with that,” she said, trying to reach for one of her husband’s bags.

Sephiroth, however, evaded her reach, and walked past her.

“Absolutely not!” he replied, with a forcefulness that insisted to not be argued with. Lucy pouted lightly. Cloud made sure not to encourage her to help him either; he respected Sephiroth’s worries.

Lucy then noticed the bouquet in Marlene’s arms, and her mood changed almost immediately. She gasped and stretched her arms out, wanting to hold it immediately. Marlene happily obliged and handed it over. Lucy hugged the sunflowers and brushed her nose against the petals.

“Ooooo, he remembered!” she cooed.

Lucy rushed as quickly as she could, with the extra weight on her, and Marlene followed behind her.

“What else you got there?” she asked the girl.

“We found a Japanese breakfast stand at the fisherman’s market,” Marlene answered proudly. “Eggs and fish.”

Lucy almost drooled. It was enough to satisfy her fish craving and her desire for something unusual, all in one fell swoop.

“Ah Seph!” Lucy sang.

Sephiroth was currently setting down his load at the kitchen island. Without any warning, his wife squealed, threw the bouquet onto the counter and pounced on him from behind. He smiled, pleased with her reaction.

“Oh, sweetie!” she cried, nuzzling her face into his back. “I’m so glad. I thought you forgot all about our anniversary!”

Sephiroth nearly lost his composure. His eyes went wide in horror. Cloud looked him in the eye and snickered as he inspected the condition of his sea bass. Marlene, of course, was clueless. He cleared his throat and said:

“Of course not! I even got you a present.”

He reached into the bag in front of him and took out an elegant perfume case with a fancy brand name. Lucy recognized it and became even more excited.

“Oh, my favorite!” she said, holding him tighter. “You’re the best!”

Sephiroth gave Cloud a tired but thankful look. Now, he owed him one.

 


	4. III: Interaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> Just some fixing in Cloud and Vincent's tete-a-tete. With a better explanation of Cloud's abilities.

At a small café in Wilhelmina headquarters, Vincent waited patiently for Tifa to come back. They had just finished the main course. His coffee was finished. He eyed her electric blue scarf, which was hanging on the chair across, and allowed himself to smile.

The waiter came to the table with their dessert. Tifa had ordered a chocolate soufflé cake and vanilla ice cream. He had ordered a plain cheesecake topped with seasonal berries.

"I'd like another coffee, please," Vincent requested.

"No problem," he replied, before taking the mug and leaving.

Vincent sat back in his chair and reflected on the meeting with some anxiety. A forty-bug outbreak was coming that very Friday, and Titans 7 had little time to prepare for it. But, they had faced these conditions before, so he was confident that they would come out on top.

Once again, and he was quite certain of this, the information had come from "he-knew-who".

The end of the meeting had been surprising; that letter had been very bold. The cake, for some unexplained reason had calmed his mind.

Tifa returned and slid back into her chair, putting a stop to his thoughts. She grinned happily… at him or at the cake before her he wasn't sure… and wiggled slightly. Her smile seemed to be brighter than usual.

"They make great cakes here," she declared.

Vincent took his fork and dug into the cheesecake. He tasted it, deliberately letting it linger on his tongue, and swallowed hastily. He raised his eyebrow.

"What?" Tifa asked.

Vincent nodded and replied, "Cloud's cheesecake is better."

Tifa glared at him in annoyance. "What brought that on?"

"It was a just a statement. That's all."

They ate dessert almost silently, stealing quiet glances of each other from time to time. The café was beginning to empty in the background. At one point, Vincent's lips were practically stuck on the mug, and Tifa couldn't help but snicker a little.

"After this," Tifa said, putting down her fork and licking her upper lip, "I have to go up there and check up on his highness."

Vincent smiled wryly, poking at a stray blueberry. "So, that's what we're calling him now."

Tifa nibbled a small bite on the edge of her fork. The cake was fluffier than usual.

"You wanna meet up tonight?" she offered eagerly. "Perhaps, we could go see a movie. There's this really creepy thriller…"

"Sorry," Vincent interrupted, "Barret and I have some business to take care of."

She froze and smiled dejectedly. "Oh, I see."

"But after this, why don't we go up together?"

She jumped slightly in her seat. "Why?"

"Out of curiosity," Vincent said. "I've never been up there before."

"Hardly anyone's been up there," Tifa mused. "The only team members that go there are me and Seph. Marlene pops in often while I'm there, sometimes before I come. And Aerith and Mr. Tuesti are always going in and out. Mr. Tuesti… he always makes sure to visit at least once a week."

"Barret's never been up there?" Vincent asked in surprise. "I'd think, as the commander, he would've at least visited once!"

Her brow rose incredulously, and she spooned a good dollop of ice cream into her mouth. Vincent blinked and stopped to think for a moment.

“You’re right,” he said. “That was a stupid question.”

At the end, she was sopping up melted ice cream with the last bite, and he had finished his third cup of coffee during the entire meal. The waiter came to take their plates away, and did not return to give them a bill. Team members did not need to pay at Headquarters.

Tifa got up first and wrapped her scarf around her neck. As she fixed her skirt and picked up her purse, Vincent stood up and neatly swooped his seat back into the table.

"So, what's it like up there?" he asked casually.

Tifa swung her purse over her shoulder. "It's like a penthouse. It makes Barret's place look dinky."

"Hmm. No wonder he's miffed."

 

00000

 

As promised Cloud had stopped in the middle of his day to take a nap, leaning against the balcony wall and wrapping himself in a curious bundle of blankets. The temperature had risen a bit.

At first, his sleep was a silent one. He didn’t dream, and he wasn’t uncomfortable. But for some reason, even in his sleep, he could feel something brewing in his mind, something pulling at him. For some reason, even in his sleep, he was becoming more aware of a dark world that was surrounding him. More aware, as if he was sobering up from a night of drinking too much.

In his sleep, he was remembering something…

" _ **Cloud… where are you? Cloud?"**_

_**Cloud was standing at the other end of the Fairs' garden. He heard his name being called, but he couldn't answer. He didn't have the strength. Footsteps came towards him on the stone pavement, but he didn't move an inch.** _

_**A hand clamped on his shoulder and tugged at him.** _

" _ **Cloud," Zack said. "Mom says you should come back inside. It's getting late."**_

" _ **Please… leave me alone," Cloud replied quietly.**_

_**His voice sounded weak.** _

" _ **Cloud?"**_

_**Zack pulled at Cloud, trying to make eye contact. Cloud jerked away from his grasp and walked a few steps away from him. Zack heard him sniffle. He only dared take a step towards him.** _

" _ **What's the matter with you?" he asked.**_

" _ **I'll come inside," Cloud said, almost in a whisper. "But I'm not hungry."**_

" _ **Cloud…"**_

" _ **Grandfather's dead," he said, in a slightly louder voice.**_

_**They both fell silent. All one could hear were the crickets and the distant humming on the electric grid. Zack came closer; his footsteps had lost their pep.** _

" _ **They'll come tomorrow morning," Cloud said in monotone. "Some guy and a lady from the government. They'll come here and tell us… that he died sometime today. Something about his heart…"**_

" _ **Why are you saying that?" Zack blanched. "Uncle Enoch isn't dead! What's gotten into you? Cloud?"**_

_**Zack grasped his shoulder again and managed to make him turn. He looked at Cloud's face and drew back almost immediately. His eyes seemed totally empty, and his cheeks were streaked with tears.** _

" _ **I'll be in my room," he said.**_

_**Cloud then turned away and ran back into the house. Zack didn't follow him.** _

_The memory suddenly vanished. Everything became dark._

_Again._

_Cloud slowly opened his eyes. He seemed to be sitting, suspended in a fetal position. He stayed still for a moment, trying to make sense of his surroundings. For some reason, he couldn't feel his own weight._

_He raised his head and looked up. The creature he had seen before was sitting several yards away. It has been waiting for him. Cloud wondered why he hadn't seen the shine of its radiating light._

" _My apologies," it replied. "I was only trying to process some of your psychological information. It wasn't my intention to force you to relive... a memory."_

_Cloud wrinkled his eyebrows. He shifted and unfolded his body to see if he could stand. He straightened up and managed to stand, but for some reason, he felt nothing under his feet. That was new._

" _Hmmm, makes sense," he reflected. "I wondered_ _ **why**_ _I was remembering it. I haven't thought of that for years."_

_He took a step towards the creature and felt his lack of weight propel him forward. It felt like he had taken three steps in one bound. Cloud drifted closer and stretched out his hand._

" _What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"_

 _He grabbed a hold to its shining fur, and suddenly, he was pulled forward into another direction. The creature had started to lead him somewhere. Cloud felt a chill go up his spine, rather than down_ , _and the hair on the back of his neck bristled in response._

_A thought automatically, more intuitively than logically, came into his mind:_

_**Is something coming?** _

" _Come," the creature said. "There is something you need to see."_

_Cloud followed obediently and allowed himself to be led, taking several steps at a time. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was approaching them… or they were preparing to cross paths with something. A drumming, vibration sensation passed through his body._

_How long they journeyed he was unable to determine; Cloud wasn't able to gain a sense of time. But whatever was getting closer, he was able to feel that the vibrations were growing stronger and stronger at each step. He began to dread the end of their destination._

_Cloud heard a strange sound, almost similar to the call of a whale or some marine animal. He clenched the creature's fur tighter._

" _We're almost there," it replied, as if it sensed his feelings._

_For a moment, he saw something flicker in the distance. It disappeared for a moment, but as they drew closer, he saw it move more visibly. It was a large mass of a thing, moving dozens of feet above them. It looked almost as if it was swimming, and the dark was its ocean. It made another strange call._

_Cloud struggled against the vibrations. For some reason, it made him feel restless._

_The creature stopped moving, and Cloud was left to watch. The monster that they had searched out continued on its way and floated directly over them. It didn't seem to notice them, and even if it did, it paid them no attention._

_Cloud could now see it, but for some reason, he could only see its general outline. From the little he could make out, it was like a cross between a snake and a fish. But the monster was also huge, and it was taking a long time for its lengthy body to pass over them._

" _What is…?" he managed to say. "Is that a virus?"_

" _Yes," the creature confirmed._

_Cloud released its fur and ventured away for a short distance. He looked straight up, staring at the terrible monster, and tried to get used to the vibrations._

" _So…" he said. "That's a virus…"_

 

00000

 

The phone rang loudly, and Cloud was jolted awake. He was almost thankful.

With a groan, he pulled himself up from where he was sitting on his balcony and stepped back inside. He was still tired, but what he had just seen had shaken him with excitement. He walked briskly towards the nearest phone (in the kitchen) and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Strife, the party of Highwind is here to see you."

The receptionist.

"Thank you," he replied. "Send them right up."

Cloud hung up the phone and rubbed circles between his eyebrows. He took a deep breath, picked up the phone again, and pressed three buttons. He waited impatiently as he heard the dial tone.

The phone clicked, and Aerith answered on the other end.

"Hello, this is Mr. Tuesti's office," she said. "How may I…?"

"It's me, Miss Gainsborough," he said.

There was a short pause.

"Mr. Tuesti is in a meeting with the mayor of Valonia," Aerith said. "Is it important?"

"It is," Cloud said, "But I won't interrupt. Just give him a message from me: I was able to see a virus today."

Aerith coughed in surprise. "But then I should…"

"Mr. Tuesti and I already know a virus is coming soon," he countered. "I'm not even sure if it was the one we're waiting for now. Besides, I already have another task to fuss over. I only wanted to give him a heads up so we could discuss it later."

"But…"

“If we worry too much about the future… we’ll never be able to deal with the present! There's no need to panic. The next virus can't emerge until after the next two bug outbreaks. He knows that as well as I do."

Aerith sighed heavily. "You and Mr. Tuesti are going to give me gray hairs one day."

"You'll outlive us all, Miss Gainsborough. Goodbye."

"…Goodbye, Mr. Strife."

Cloud hung up the phone and willed himself to relax. He could picture Aerith right then and there, sitting at her desk and trying to let their conversation sink into her brain.

 _Maybe I'm incapable of letting anything sink into_ _ **my**_ _brain,_  he pondered, rubbing his head.  _Maybe there's some loose parts or something missing inside me._

Cloud cracked his knuckles and looked at the piecrusts on the counter. There were twenty mini ones and six large ones, all powdered, handmade, and ready-to-go. On another surface, there were already chopped onions, leeks, and garlic. He cracked a half-smile and reached for an apron.

"Can't miss what you never had," he mumbled.

 

00000

 

Tifa and Vincent walked out of the elevator and stepped up to the front door of "Cloud's place". Vincent examined the glass door and frowned almost immediately. Tifa rang the bell and then fished into her purse for the key card. She looked up and saw Vincent's face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Where have I seen this kind of door before?" he muttered.

"What?"

Vincent turned to her and smiled. "It's nothing. Let's go in."

Tifa shrugged and pulled her key card out. She started to position it at the card slot…

The door slid open, and Tifa and Vincent were suddenly faced with a scruffy looking man that smelled like fish. The man grinned at them, grabbed Vincent's hand, and shook it vigorously.

"Afternoon there!" he said. "The name's Highwind. Cid Highwind. Here… let me take your coats n' things! Come on in!"

Cid almost forcibly divested Vincent of his jacket. Tifa quickly took off her coat and scarf and handed it to him. Cid nodded to them and walked further into the foyer, allowing them to enter. Tifa walked in first in a daze.

The smell of fish and baked, buttery crust wafted through the air. Cid hung their things on the coat rack and went elsewhere. Voices were coming from the living room. A line of canvas cloth was spread on the right side of the foyer, where there was a horde of shoes and rubber boots. Tifa took off her heels, as if by routine, and dropped them on a vacant spot on the cloth.

She turned to Vincent and said, "House rules."

Vincent nodded and took off his loafers.

"Any idea what's going on?" he asked, wide eyed.

"No clue," Tifa replied honestly.

When they came to the living room, there were almost a dozen people that neither of them recognized. But to Tifa's lack of surprise, Sephiroth was there, along with Lucy. Lucy was sitting and talking to another woman who was cradling a baby in her arms. Meanwhile, a group of obvious fishermen were playing a game of cards. Tifa and Vincent noticed a boy they did recognize, who was playing along with them; his eyes were trained on his cards in deep concentration.

"Denzel!" Tifa chided.

Denzel jumped at the sound of her voice and looked up from his cards.

"Hi, Miss Tifa," he said meekly.

"Denzel, you should know better than to play with cards!"

"Mom says it's okay," Denzel chirped. "Just as long as I don't gamble."

And with that, he sank back into his hand of cards. Tifa sighed resignedly.

"Cloud must be in the kitchen," Tifa told Vincent. "This way."

Vincent followed her away from the living room and saw something at the far end of his vision. In the corner of the living room wall, inches below the ceiling, he had noticed a hidden security camera. His jaw tightened.

Inside the kitchen, Cloud was busy over the stove, cooking onions, leeks, carrots, cooked peas, and garlic in an enameled cast-iron casserole. He was pouring dry, white wine into the vegetable mix. The air was saturated with seasonings and thyme, even though the fan was on full blast.

Marlene was standing over the counter on a ladder and flattened some more freshly made dough under a rolling pin. The tip of her tongue was sticking out, and her bangs bounced as she moved back and forth.

Tifa lightly knocked on the wall, and Cloud turned. He smiled lightly and waved. She bit her lip; she still didn't care for his usual, listless greeting. She walked up to him, minding the hot stove, but Vincent didn't move from the threshold.

"Hi, Tifa!" Marlene sang.

"Hi, sweetie," Tifa replied, lightly touching the child's face. She then turned to Cloud and asked, "Is this some sort of party?"

"Not really," Cloud replied. "I'm just making Greek Fish Stew Pie."

Tifa didn't bother to ask what  **that**  was. He dropped a quartered lemon into the vegetables and stirred it around generously.

"So, why…" she began to ask.

"I offered to bake some to treat themselves on their next trip," he answered. "Of course, I didn't see that they'd need so many. Luckily for me, they brought some more of their own shellfish…"

Cloud pointed behind him, and Tifa eyed the colossal pile of clams and mussels on the kitchen island. Beside it was another sea bass, halved and scaled.

"You sure know some interesting people," Tifa said incredulously. "So, are you too busy for our session?"

He prolonged his answer and set a timer for four minutes.

"Not really," Cloud answered, "But I think I'd rather answer Mr. Valentine's questions first. Is that alright?"

Tifa's eyes widened in surprise. She turned head and stared back Vincent with questioning eyes.

_Did they already set up a meeting?_

Vincent froze at the doorway. He composed himself and cleared his throat.

"Alright then," he said. "I was going to wait a while, but there's no use beating around the bush."

"Good," Cloud replied. He reached behind himself and undid the tie on his apron. He worked his head out of the halter strap and suddenly slipped it over Tifa's head and around her neck. With a snicker, he circled around her and tied the apron strings around her waist, brushing her long, raven hair out of the way. Vincent gritted his teeth at the scene.

"C-cloud!" she squeaked.

"When the timer goes off," he instructed, "add the stock and simmer it for another five minutes. If I'm not back by then, add the sea bass chunks and simmer for another five minutes. Add the shucked clams and mussels; they're right next to you on the counter…"

"W-wait a second! You can't just…"

But by then Cloud headed towards Vincent and led him away from the kitchen. They walked back towards the foyer, stopped short and entered the sitting room. Cloud let his guest enter first, and then, he shut the door behind him.

 

00000

 

As Vincent made himself comfortable in the armchair, he looked at the covered tea set and tray on the coffee table. Cloud lifted the tea cozy off of the teapot and poured into a teacup.

"I made sure to have this ready," Cloud said. "Would you like some too? Or did you have enough coffee downstairs?"

Vincent glared. "Why…"

"If I had just said 'do you want some tea'," he explained, "you would've replied I had a lot of coffee downstairs."

"Well, then maybe I'll have some after all," Vincent replied in a calm voice.

Cloud grinned and poured into a second cup.

 _Don't let your guard down_ , Vincent told himself.  _You talked to Miss Gainsborough about meeting him here. She probably gave him a heads-up. And this tea is probably for Tifa!_

That last thought made him feel anxious. How many times had Cloud and Tifa sat down to tea in this sitting room? Alone? What exactly did they talk about?

Vincent then noticed that there were five cups on the tea tray.

The phone, near the bookshelf, rang, and Cloud got up to answer it, still holding his teacup. Vincent simply watched.

Cloud picked up the receiver and greeted the caller. He listened for a moment before grinning.

"Don't bother to announce them anymore!" he said. "Just send them all up… oh, it's quite alright. They're all friends! Yes… thank you. Goodbye!"

He hung up and sighed in an uncharacteristically loud way.

"It's been a while since I've had company like this," Cloud said. "Maybe, I should order something from the restaurant and start mixing drinks."

Vincent smiled a little and started to taste the tea.

"Speaking of drinks, take care," Cloud warned. "I spiked that with a bit of whisky. Miss Lockheart likes it that way."

"She drinks liquor in her tea?" Vincent asked in disbelief.

"Only once in a while, she says. You didn't know? I thought you'd be the last person who  _wouldn't_  know."

Vincent grimaced in embarrassment. He didn't sense a mocking tone in Cloud's voice, so he assumed that it wasn't said to offend.

"She never mentioned it."

Vincent leaned over the coffee table and added his own milk and sugar. Cloud sat down on the couch and drank his tea without adding anything else to enhance it. Vincent observed him for a moment, trying to see the emotion that was on his face. All he saw was the kind of face he wouldn't pay attention to: childlike and oblivious, without a care in the world. One wouldn't think anything was going on his head.

"Okay," Vincent said, reverting back to a businesslike attitude. "I'll make this quick and be out of your way."

Cloud sat back into the couch and sniffed at the cup. "Hmmm."

"First off," he said, "how exactly do your premonitions work? What happens exactly when you have visions?"

"Are you assuming that visions are the only source of my predictions?" Cloud asked.

Vincent straightened and held the cup in his hand. "Isn't that how it works?"

"Are you asking me because you believe I'm a clairvoyant? Or are you here to throw me off and try to catch me in some sort of lie?"

Vincent became dead silent. Cloud sighed in a singsong way.

“It's not easy to explain,” he answered, “Most of the time, I guess I simply… know things. Pieces of information— future facts, you might call them—they pop into my head, whether I want it to or not.”

He sweetened his tea and kept talking without skipping a beat. “The Tobar Ace event was from one of _those_ types of premonitions. I would’ve liked to have known earlier, but that’s how it goes.”

After adding the cream, he picked up his tea and tasted it. “Now, visions… happen less often for me. Unless, I'm dealing with sort of crisis. Usually, they occur while I'm asleep. If it happens while I'm awake, it comes and goes in a flash, in quick images.”

Cloud took another, longer sip. He looked down, frowning pensively. “Though, lately, I've been getting visions more frequently. I had one last week, and I had one just this morning…”

Vincent stayed put and let Cloud talk, listening carefully to his words. He tasted the tea and was taken by surprise at the potency. Tifa was a woman with a strong stomach.

"…Mrs. Bentley was quite angry," Cloud recalled gleefully, "but that's what made the vision funnier. Luckily, I headed Seph off before she realized he had forgotten about their anniversary."

Vincent braced himself for the second sip. It wasn't damaging.

"And then, there's the one I had last week," Cloud added. "It was about  **you** , Mr. Valentine."

Vincent breathed through his nose.  _Don't lower your guard. Just listen._

"I assume you've already turned down Tifa's invitation to the movies," Cloud said. "That's because tonight… you are going to hack into the Shinra Foundation's mainframe. You want to look at my files."

Vincent stiffened. "How did you…?"

But he mentally shook his head.  _Mr. Tuesti gave me authorization this morning. They might've talked about it. And Tifa probably told him about the movie._

"I don't mind you looking into my files. There's nothing there that I have to hide. However, I do have one request."

"And what would that be?"

Cloud took a moment to sip some tea and cleared his throat.

"Please don't think badly of Mr. Tuesti," he said. "And please don't misunderstand your father. Everything they've done, they did it to protect  **us**."

"My father?" Vincent asked, narrowing his eyes. "What about my father? What does he mean to you?"

Cloud didn't reply to the question.

"What else did you want to ask me?" he inquired.

Vincent became slightly irritated, but he didn't let it show.

"I don't know if you were aware," he said, "but do you realize that our security is watching you in your apartment?"

Cloud stared blankly at him. He turned his attention to somewhere near the ceiling and pointed to it. Vincent followed his finger and spotted another camera.

"The only places that don't have cameras are my bathroom and closet," Cloud replied. "They even watch me in my sleep."

"Why?" Vincent asked in a dark tone.

"Mr. Tuesti has my sleeping patterns monitored…"

"No, I meant the cameras. Why are there cameras in your living space?"

"Because Mr. Tuesti keeps me monitored."

Vincent felt his stomach tightening. Sipping the whisky-tea didn't help him any.  _I don't like it. I don't like it at all!_

"How often do you leave your apartment?" he asked.

"As often as I need to," Cloud replied. "Sometimes every day of the week."

"How often do you leave the building?"

"Three to four times a week."

"I heard from Tifa that you have a curfew after ten at night. Have you ever broken it?"

Cloud shook his head. "I don't have a reason to. And Mr. Tuesti said the only exception was if I was on duty."

Vincent scowled.  _It's always Mr. Tuesti._

Cloud saw the look on his face and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Vincent asked.

"If I didn't know any better," he replied, "I'd say you were worried about me."

"Barret thinks that that Mr. Tuesti favors you, but he has you on a leash! A long one, but a leash nonetheless."

"Perhaps… but if so, it was my choice to put on the collar."

"None of us chose this kind of life…"

Vincent decided that he didn't quite care for the whisky-tea. Or perhaps, the mood didn't call for it. Cloud lowered his eyes empathetically and took a good swig of his tea. He breathed out heavily.

"Are you even a part of Titans 7 at all?" Vincent asked incredulously.

"Seph asked me the same question this morning," Cloud replied.

"You couldn't answer."

Cloud smirked affirmatively.

"Does Mr. Tuesti have a hold on your tongue too? Is that you won't tell us anything either?"

"You have it all wrong. I told you already… don't think badly of Mr. Tuesti. The reason we're withholding information… is because we can't allow certain things to get out into the open yet. Not even to Titans 7. If people found out too soon, it would cause trouble for everyone involved. For Mr. Tuesti… for me… for our co-workers… for you…"

Vincent sat back, stunned by Cloud's sudden frankness.

"Are you sure you were allowed to say that?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter. Director doesn't have as much 'control' over me as you think. I'm not his prisoner, and he doesn't treat me that way. You don't need to be concerned."

But Vincent was unable to accept it. The situation was too vague, too cloudy, and too secretive for him to feel secure.

"Why hack my files, though?" Cloud asked. "If there's anything personal you need to know, I can just tell you…"

"I'm trying to answer a question," Vincent countered," that you can't answer for me right now."

"Then why not wait until I can?"

The conversation came to a brief halt. Cloud pensively sipped on his tea, his eyes unfocused.

"You don't want me to hack your files," Vincent stated. "I thought you had nothing to hide in them."

"I don't… but if you go through with this, Mr. Valentine, if you hack into the Shinra Foundation… nothing good will come of it."

"Then why haven't you told Mr. Tuesti that?"

"Even if I did, and he canceled your authorization, it wouldn't stop Mr. Wallace. I know he trusts Mr. Tuesti, and he isn't the leader of Titans 7 for nothing… but if he would really do such as thing, I suppose he has some rash tendencies that I'm not aware of. I didn't want either of you to get into trouble, so I held my peace. Just consider what I said a friendly warning."

Vincent narrowed his eyes skeptically. Cloud gave him a penetrating gaze, as if he was trying to read his thoughts. He closed his eyes, as if he were about to fall asleep again.

"You don't believe in clairvoyance, do you, Mr. Valentine?" he questioned.

"No, I don't," Vincent answered firmly.

His host shrugged. "That's the problem with being rational. You tend to forget that the world around you will always be irrational."

He scoffed. “Please don't give me the 'some things in this world can't be explained' speech.”

“Actually, the scientists who study that field are linking the cause to quantum theory.”

Vincent coughed in slight exasperation. Cloud went on to finish off the rest of his tea, as if he didn't notice.

A loud, raucous knock came from the door, ending the awkwardness. Cloud cheerfully gave the knocker permission to enter, and Tifa burst into the sitting room. It was easy to notice the anger she was controlling by looking at the tightness in her face.

"Cloud," she said, in a falsely congenial voice, "would you care to explain… why you let journalists come up here?"

Tifa opened the door wider, revealing two, leather jacket wearing journalists, a man and a woman, standing close together behind her. The man was younger, eager, and excited, but the woman was older, sharper, and tough-as-nails.

"Well, no," the man replied with a laugh, "the receptionist didn't even announce us. She…"

"We don't intend to interfere with your job," the woman curtly interrupted. "I'm Jessie, and this is my partner, Biggs. We're from the magazine  _The Third Eye & the Other Side_."

Tifa froze, and her displeasure subsided. Vincent raised an eyebrow. The two visitors slipped past Tifa and sauntered into the room.

" _The Third Eye & the Other Side_?!" they cried in unison.

"Haven't you heard of us?" Biggs asked hopefully.

"Well, yeah…" Tifa answered, "but aren't you supposed to be a paranormal magazine…"

Realization finally donned on the confused pair, and they both stared at Cloud. Vincent eyed the extra cups.

"Mr. Strife," Jessie said, adjusting her stylish glasses, "as you're very likely aware, Wilhelmina has been able to detect bugs more quickly. There's been a rumor floating around that the headquarters owes it to someone claiming to be… a ' _clairvoyante'_."

The word rolled off of her tongue with a French-ified panache.

"We've received a tip somewhere…" she continued, "that you're the person we're looking for. It's a bit unorthodox; we usually schedule appointments, but we had no way of contacting you, and the front desk was unhelpful. It's impromptu, I know, but would you mind doing an interview with us?"

"Not at all," Cloud replied. "I've been expecting you, so I put out two extra cups. I hope you like your tea with whisky."

Tifa had become reasonably calm, but she folded her arms sternly. "Would you mind if I sat in?"

"Of course," Biggs replied. "We understand."

"How's the fish stew-filling coming along?" Cloud asked.

"How should I know?" Tifa groaned. "It looked even weirder when I added the halibut."

"I guess that means it's time for me to take over again," he decided. He poured himself a second cup of tea, stood up, and quietly walked towards the door. He held the cup just below the chin, and held the saucer right underneath it.

"Would you mind picking up that tea tray, please?" he said to Tifa. "And set it up in the dining room?"

Tifa sighed. "Fine. Just as long as I sit in on this interview."

Cloud turned to the journalists and cocked his head, signaling them to follow him. The three of them left in a single file.

Tifa picked up the tea tray and shook her head. "He's a handful."

"Is it always like this up here?" Vincent asked.

"Not as busy as this," Tifa replied. “He likes the quiet. Still, I don't get why Mr. Ambrose lets him bring outsiders up here.”

Vincent handed her his cup, now empty, and she put it to the side on her tray. His eyes narrowed.

"The long leash," he muttered quietly.

"What's that?" Tifa asked.

"It's nothing. Are the reporters going to be a problem?"

"As long as they don't get too nosy."

Liat lifted the heavy tray with little effort and carried it to the table.

 

00000

 

The journalists sat on opposite sides of the dining room, and Tifa sat between them. She was currently pacifying herself with her whisky tea and eyeing them like a hawk.

Vincent was leaning against the kitchen doorway.

They watched as Cloud hummed a small tune over the stove. He mixed flour into the odd mixture and simpered as it thickened in the casserole dish. Marlene had the ladder up closer to him on the counter and watched in wonder.

"It's really starting to look like a pie filling," Marlene cooed. "It smells good. What do we do now?"

"We're going to let it simmer for a bit," Cloud replied, pressing the kitchen timer. "Tell me if it's getting thick before the time… but don't get to close to the stove; I don't want you burning yourself."

He patted her on the head and stepped into the dining room to join the waiting adults. Biggs had a recording device set up on the table and a pad of paper for writing notes.

"I'm sorry to make you wait," Cloud said. "I didn't know things would become so hectic."

"No problem," Biggs replied. "Some people make us wait for hours… I like your tea!"

Jessie had hardly touched her cup.

"Alright," she said. "Let's get this over with. Biggs."

He turned on the device and sat back in his chair, pad and pen in hand.

"So, Mr. Strife," Jessie began, "when did you first realize that you had precognitive abilities?"

"I believe I was about seven years old," Cloud replied. "Of course, I had had it all along, but I didn't understand the things I was seeing. Perhaps, I've had it longer than I can remember."

Biggs nodded while jotting something down.

"Interesting," Jessie replied, allowing herself to smile. "We hardly get an answer like that. So, is there a particular premonition, in your childhood, that had a lasting impression on you?"

Cloud became quiet, trying to think back. Everyone could hear Tifa quietly sucking on her cup.

"Yes… I was six and half," he said. "It was just before Zack's… my friend's twelfth birthday. I had a dream that his mother… and my guardian, Mrs. Fair, fell down the stairs and broke her leg… badly. And right on his birthday, it happened just as I had seen it. I told Mr. Fair about the dream, but he didn't believe me."

Jessie hummed in understanding. "Is it true that you were born in the domed cities?"

"Yes."

"Where were you born and… did you grow up there?"

"I was born in Pathea… but I was sent to Quiterie when I was three years old. That was when I was entrusted to the Fairs."

"Pathea… that's where Shinra Headquarters is located. Did your biological parents work for them?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

From the other side of the kitchen, Vincent listened with little interest. He was only hearing things that he had already read in Cloud's available files, except for the paranormal inquiries. The questions came one after another, and Cloud answered them readily and happily. Some of the questions had nothing to do his abilities at all.

By then, Tifa had gained some trust in the journalists and became absorbed in her light, alcohol fix.

"Do you have any control over your power?" Jessie asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Cloud replied.

"But you were able to accurately predict the last three bug sightings," she said. "How were you able to do it when you have no control?"

Cloud scratched his head. "Perhaps, it's because I'm worried about it."

"So, your state of mind has an effect on what you predict?"

"I couldn't say for sure. This is only the second time something like this has happened to me."

Jessie leaned forward in her chair, obviously intrigued. "The second time?"

Cloud stopped and chuckled. "I sure walked myself into that one."

"Come on, cough it up!" Biggs urged. "Don't clam up on us now."

Cloud raised his hands innocently. "You'll never believe it."

"What kind of magazine do you think we're a part of?" Jessie countered.

Cloud sighed in defeat. "Okay. Zack and I… we caught a serial mugger who was targeting college professors."

"What?!!!!" the whole table cried.

The kitchen and the dining room became very, very quiet. Even the low simmer of fish filling could be heard. Cloud took a deep breath and began the long, detailed story:

"Well, about seven years back, when was going to boarding school, some idiot started targeting the professors at university nearby… and whacking them with a metal pipe for goodness sake! It was where Zack was studying for his career in the Foundation… and where Mr. Fair taught. One person was so badly injured that they were hospitalized for weeks. I got scared, wondering if Mr. Fair would be all right, and after a while, I started getting a flurry of premonitions … all centered on the incidents. And no one but Zack would believe me, so I couldn't go to the police. In the end, we didn't have much of a choice."

The whole table was entranced. Marlene forgot about her watching duties. Vincent lent an ear, though he wasn't sure whether to take it seriously or not.

"One night," Cloud continued, "I had a vision of the person's next victim, a woman. So, Zack and I… he got the taser that Mrs. Fair bought him and some rope, and I borrowed my roommate's baseball bat. I snuck out of my dorm through the window, and we both hurried to the spot. Hid behind the bushes and waited for three  _whole_  hours. She passed right by.  _He_  came…  **stupid** mask, metal pipe, and all. And when he went to take a swing at her, we jumped out of hiding and gave him something he'd never forget!"

The contempt was very evident in his voice. The small, satisfied smirk on his face only enhanced it.

"Yeah, but how did you get around the police?" Biggs asked. "You had to at least call the police. And there had to have been security cameras."

"Actually, the lady professor called," Cloud replied. "And Zack and I wore hoods over our heads. After all, we'd have had a hard time explaining ourselves to the police. We just tied him to a tree and hid until they took him away. Luckily,  **she**  didn't tell them it was us who caught him… awfully nice of her."

He exhaled sharply and stopped right there; his story was over. The table stared wide-eyed at him, completely bowled over by the tale. Cloud felt slightly uncomfortable.

"I knew no one would believe it," he said tiredly.

"Oh no!" Jessie replied. "We've heard crazier stories. Just not… something like that."

Meanwhile, Tifa tried to imagine quiet, little Cloud whacking a mugger with a baseball bat. It barely registered. Barely.

"Any more questions?" Cloud asked.

Jessie collected herself. "One more. Do you have any premonitions that you'd like to share with our readers? Any tidbits or warnings?"

"I do…" he replied hesitantly, "but I don't think you want to publish it." He turned to Biggs and said, "I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you."

Biggs straightened in his chair and gulped. "W-what?"

"To put it bluntly… your wife is two-timing you."

Biggs dropped the pad and the pen, and they fell onto his lap. The pen rolled off and fell to the floor.

"Y-y-your joking, right?" he stammered hopefully.

Cloud's face was like stone. "I'd get a private eye on her right away. If you're able to prove that her lover's a drug dealer, you should be able to get full custody of your daughter."

 

00000

 

More than an hour later, Biggs was in the sitting room, slumped in the armchair. On the coffee table, there was a bottle of Fernley brand whisky and a half-empty shot glass, which had been filled and emptied five times.

Cloud and Jessie peaked at him through the doorway.

"I feel a little guilty," Cloud admitted. "I was having so much fun that almost couldn't tell him."

"Don't worry about it," Jessie replied. "I met her before they married. I didn't need foresight to see  **this**  coming. Say… did you already know… before we got here?"

"No," he replied. "It came to me when I saw him through the doorway. It was pretty sudden."

Biggs finished off the shot glass and poured himself another cup.

"Should we stop him?" Cloud asked.

"Nah," Jessie shrugged off. "He can put away liquor like you wouldn't believe. And don't feel bad about this; you've done him a favor."

Jessie opened the door and went into the sitting room to comfort her partner. Cloud politely shut the door behind her and walked back into the kitchen.

"They'll be married within a year," he mumbled. Knowingly.

In the kitchen, Tifa and Marlene stooped to watch the pies bake as if the oven was a television. Cloud cheered up a little and crouched down to join them.

"How's it going?" he asked.

Tifa jumped slightly but relaxed when he saw his face.

"It's fine," she said with a frown. "Don't sit so close."

"It's my oven," he answered in mock-indignation.

Tifa scooted to the side, putting some space between them. The piecrusts were browning nicely. Fourteen minutes were on the timer.

"Vincent already left," Cloud told her. "Is that alright?"

"He's got work to do," Tifa replied dismissively. "I understand."

"Hmmm," he answered.

They continued to watch the piecrusts brown for another minute.

"Miss Lockheart, we can have our session now," he said.

"Not until the pies are done," she argued. "No interruptions."

"Oh, it's not so hard. Just ask me the usual. 'How are you feeling, Cloud? What's on your mind? What kind of dreams did you have? How many premonitions have you had so far?' Come on."

"You like doing things your way, don't you?"

Cloud nodded in a childlike manner. Tifa narrowed her eyes and gave in.

"How are you feeling, Cloud?"

"I feel like being taken to that movie you want to see tonight… if you don't mind."

Tifa shuddered, completely stunned. Marlene made kissy-faces behind Cloud's back… and in her full view.

 

00000

 

Later that afternoon, Vincent sat at his desk and re-examined the five stacks of paper that were on the surface. They were all from Cloud's files.

The first was a copy of his birth certificate, along with carbon copies of a form that the Fairs had filled out to gain guardianship of him (how Mr. Tuesti received them, he had no idea).

The second and third were a full record of Cloud's elementary and high school days, including some notes of concern from his teachers. Apparently, Cloud wasn't a very sociable child until he reached his mid teens. Vincent wrote a note on a written list of questions: he wanted to find out if the college muggings were true.

The fourth contained his college days, where he studied to become a magazine journalist, the career that the Foundation had set for him. There was nothing there that struck him, but he found it rather ironic.

The last stack contained everything up to the time Cloud was shot in his apartment. His employment at a gourmet-dining magazine was spotless, and he was dependable. He always paid his rent on time. He was popular with women but had no romantic relationships. He seemed to only be close to Zack Fair, his childhood friend, who worked for the Foundation as an investigator.

But for all this extensive information, Vincent knew that these records were incomplete. Nothing, not even Cloud's birth certificate, indicated his parentage. And he couldn't figure out exactly why Cloud was killed… by a Foundation assassin of all things. All he could think of was that Cloud knew too much for his own good, but what exactly?

He had already long guessed that Cloud was the grandson of Dr. Enoch Strife. Everyone in Titans 7 had some sort of tie to the Foundation, and Strife wasn't a common surname, so it was the only thing that made sense. And according to his calculations, Dr. Strife had to have died when Cloud was seven years old.

But why did it show no record this? Why was there no documentation of Cloud's parents? And why would the Foundation kill a common food journalist… who happened to be the grandson of the man they owed everything to?

It made no sense… unless Mr. Tuesti had deliberately left out information. But Vincent knew better than to mention that suspicion to Barret; his commander thought very highly of their esteemed Director. Barret was only concerned about finding what Cloud was "hiding".

And so, they were hacking the mainframe to gather the missing pieces.

"… _if you go through with this, Mr. Valentine, if you hack into the Shinra Foundation… nothing good will come of it."_

Vincent went cold all over.

No, he didn't believe in premonitions or visions or any of that "supernatural nonsense". But that last prediction had set him on edge. There was no possible way that Cloud could've known that journalist was married with a daughter.

No normal way, that is.

" _Please don't think badly of Mr. Tuesti,"_  Cloud had said.  _"And please don't misunderstand your father. Everything they've done, they did it to protect_ _ **us**_ _."_

" _You don't believe in clairvoyance, do you, Mr. Valentine?"_

His desk phone rang, and he quickly picked it up. It was Barret.

"Everything's ready," Barret announced. "The hacking team's rearing to go."

Vincent hesitated to reply.

"Vince?"

"The team," Vincent said quietly. "They're the best, right?"

"Of course they are!" he bellowed. "No hacking team is better in the wilds. You know that better than I do."

Once again, he didn't answer.

"Vince, what's wrong?"

"Barret… about all this… I have a doubt."

"Well… I don't. We've done this all before. What could possibly go wrong?"

 


	5. IV: Cloud and Sephiroth Disappear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> Scenes between Cloud and Tifa have been extended, revised, and in the elevator scene's case, completely rewritten--with a good helping of Cloud's previous life in the domes. And flirting.

The screening room was too dark for Tifa’s comfort. From the time they had sat down on the top row, she was acutely aware of **his** presence. If the movie had not been a creepy, exciting thriller, she wouldn’t have been able to take it. She barely nibbled her small-sized popcorn. 

Never once did she look in Cloud’s direction. 

_I can’t believe I let him tag along,_ she chided herself. _I wasn’t even going to go when Vincent wouldn’t._  

The movie transitioned to a very long, bloody scene, and Tifa jumped back in her seat. 

_Why did he even ask to be Vincent’s replacement?_ she pondered nervously. _He never even talked about this movie until today! Does he want to hit on me or something? Doesn’t he care that Vincent and I are on the verge of dating?!_  

The bloody scene continued, and her mood intensified. She put her popcorn to the side and tried drinking her diluted soda. The scene became increasingly violent, and there were some gasps and squeals in the audience. 

_What if he’s sneaking glances at me whenever he gets the…_  

Tifa took her eyes off the massive, holographic screen to prove her suspicions. Cloud was staring into it in an almost fixated way, mindlessly stuffing himself with potato chips and a homemade gourmet sandwich he had snuck into the theater. The look on his face was blank and nearly desensitized by the red, violent images before him. He didn’t move an inch. 

_What?_  

“That actor stunk,” he mumbled to himself, before taking a large bite into the sandwich. “I’m glad he got offed.” 

_He’s… ignoring me?_ Tifa realized. _He’s actually ignoring me?! What kind of guy ignores a girl in a movie theater?!_  

He then cracked a light, morbid grin. She turned away and shuddered. 

_W-well…_ she thought sheepishly. _At least… he’s not trying to pull anything…_  

Tifa was feeling something at that moment… but she could only hope it was a sense of relief.

 

00000

 

When Vincent stepped into the massive computer room, the hacking team had already begun their job. At the far end of the room, there was a large screen of data. In the middle, the hacking team was divided into twelve rows in two columns; the first two rows were maintaining the stealth of the operation, while the rest of the team searched for the information assigned to them. Leading to the back of the room, there was a flight of steps that lead to a split-level in the room. Barret was there, sitting at a large desk, observing a holographic screen that was surrounded by several others. 

To Vincent’s surprise, Yuffie was organizing papers at a printer. 

Barret turned to see the expression on his face. 

“She was bored,” he explained. 

“Hi, Vince,” Yuffie greeted happily.

“Hello, Miss Kisaragi.” 

Yuffie frowned. “It’s Yuffie! Yu-ffie!” 

Vincent ignored her and pulled up an available chair. “What have you found so far?” 

“Well…” Barret began. “You’re hunch was right. He’s Dr. Strife’s grandson alright.” 

“It showed a record of it?” Vincent asked. 

Barret shook his head. “There was **no** record of it. None whatsoever. But it’s not hard to guess…” 

The commander pointed two screens away on his right. It showed a picture of the famous Dr. Enoch Strife himself, right alongside an image of Cloud. Vincent observed it closely and immediately understood: Dr. Strife and Cloud shared the same noses and bright blue eyes. 

“And those are probably Cloud’s parents,” Barret continued, pointing to screen above their heads. “The man is Dr. Strife’s son.” 

The screen had a single image of a bridal couple, a large, stocky man with jet-black hair and a lanky brunette who hugged at his arm. Cloud shared a striking resemblance to the brunette. Barret handed Vincent a small stack of paper to look over. 

“You’d think someone in the domes would’ve figured this out,” Barret scoffed. 

“That a random food journalist was the grandson of a scientific genius?” Vincent asked incredulously. “When there’s more than one Strife scattered in the domes? No one would believe **that**.” 

“True. Anyway, get this. Apparently, Dr. Strife and the Fairs ran in the same circle. But with Mrs. Fair being a politician, that’s not much of surprise, is it?” 

Vincent hummed in agreement and scanned the papers. Cloud’s parents, if they were indeed, were named Len and Gladys Strife. Len was a police detective in the homicide division, and Gladys was a social worker. He saw the marriage license and looked at the date of the marriage and calculated that Cloud was born two years later. But as he kept flipping through the papers, it carried no record of them ever having a child. 

“No recorded connection to Cloud,” Barret chimed. 

“It stinks, doesn’t it?” Vincent replied. “According to Cloud’s records, the ones we have, he’s a Ward of the State. Someone tampered with this. With all of it.” 

“Only the Foundation has the power to do that.” 

“Yeah, it's their bad habit.” 

The main screen flashed, signaling an incoming piece of information that was coming from one of the rows. A voice spoke into a microphone: 

“Pay close attention this one,” a person said. “This was top secret.” 

The screen turned into grainy blur and quickly focused onto a page. Barret leaned in, saw the title of the page, and recoiled in shock. 

“What’s wrong?” Vincent asked. 

“My God,” Barret whispered breathlessly. “I was hoping I'd never have to see _this_ again.” 

Vincent frowned and glanced at the title:

 

_Cameo Omega Project_

 

00000

 

At about half-past nine, forty-five minutes before his curfew, Cloud calmly walked the streets and casually window shopped amongst the various stores. Tifa followed close behind, watching him. 

“We’d better head back,” Tifa warned. “We’re starting to push it on your curfew.” 

“We’ll be fine,” Cloud replied. “It’s not that far, is it?” 

He stopped in front of a pet shop and peered inside. A pair of nearly identical kittens spellbound him. One of them was pawing at the glass. 

“I can tell you liked the movie,” Tifa assumed. 

“Not really,” Cloud replied. “The acting didn’t impress me much. No offense.” 

“But your eyes were glued to the screen!” she argued. 

“I get easily distracted by flashing images,” he countered. “When I’m not focused on anything else, that is.” 

He turned to her with an apologetic look. “Sorry if I ignored you. I was supposed to be your replacement companion, and I didn’t say a friendly word. I might as well have not been there…” 

Tifa felt herself sink and turned away, gritting her teeth. 

“Did I say something wrong?” Cloud asked. 

“I’m an idiot,” she hissed. “To think I believed that someone like you might to try to hit on me in a theater. I should’ve known.” 

Cloud inched back a little, his eyebrows raised. 

“Don’t worry,” he replied, grinning. “I'd never poach another man's girlfriend. Besides, I prefer the company of older women.” 

“I'm at least a year older than you. And Peter is _not_ my boyfriend.” 

Tifa clamped her mouth shut. Did she just imply to him that she was available? 

“…But I thought you two were dating.” 

“Going on casual dates and actually going steady aren’t the same.” 

Cloud leaned his head to the side and cluelessly stared back at her. 

“Really?” he asked. “So… going on multiple dates with the same person and actually ‘dating’… there’s a difference?” 

“Oh, don’t be silly!” Tifa chided. “Even you should know that!” 

Cloud shrugged and crouched near the window and wrapped his knuckle against the glass. One of the kittens reacted playfully, so he began to run his finger up and down. 

“How should I know?” he questioned. “The only dates I've been on are the ones my coworkers set up for me. I've never even had a girlfriend.” 

… 

“What? N-never? No high school sweetheart? No college romance?” 

“No way. I was dateless in high school. And by the time I entered college, I no longer saw the appeal. If I wanted to meet girls, I simply went to parties. Or had an occasional drink with my coworkers. Those were nice...” 

Tifa practically choked on the words she wanted to get out. It didn’t make sense! I made absolutely no sense. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Cloud was undeniably cute… if men with pretty faces and smart-alecky attitudes churned your butter. And according to the files she had been shown, women had practically swarmed him. Sure, it had said “no known relationships”, but didn’t at least **one** girl catch his attention? 

At least… one? 

“I see the wide gape of shock on your face,” Cloud commented with a snicker. “Seph had a _funnier_ expression when I told **him** …” 

“Are you some kind of a monk?” Tifa asked. She regretted the question immediately. 

“It isn't as if I never considered it before,” he replied. “Only... my power has a tendency to kill the romance before it ever begins. And there's a good chance that I'm a demisexual. I don't understand how anyone can be attracted to someone they don't know, and it's hard for me to build a connection. How could I possibly open myself up to someone who refuses to believe?” 

Cloud stood up again, making “O” shapes at the kittens with his mouth. “And even when they do believe, they either run away, get angry, or they put me on a pedestal like I'm the last incarnation of Vishnu.” 

_Who's Vishnu?_ Tifa wondered. She recalled the twists and turns in her aunt's research… and the people who allowed her to interview them. She could remember the varied ways they were isolated themselves from society, the difficulty they had in trusting others, and more often than not, the undertone of loneliness. She took a moment to curse her insensitivity. She should have known better.

At the very least, Cloud (like some of those interviewees) seemed to take his plight in stride. 

“If it makes you worry any less,” he added, “I _did_ have a crush on one of my coworkers. Most of my magazine department... they eventually came to believe in my power... but she was one of the very few who didn't make a big deal out it. But alas... she had a boyfriend, and I wasn't her type. It fizzled out and came to nothing.” 

“Actually, that makes me feel even sorrier for you,” Tifa replied. She bunched up her fingers, curiosity getting the better of her. “What... what was her name?” 

“Her name was Parker. A bit of a tomboy, and she was lovely for it.” Cloud turned to face her. He reached up and lightly wound a lock of her hair around his finger. “She had the prettiest black hair. Much like yours...” 

She blinked, her mind slowly computing the gesture. Then her cheeks turned into the prettiest shade of red. 

“Um... I...” she stammered. 

Cloud's face twisted into a cheeky grin, and he stuck out his tongue. “Just kidding! She was bleach blonde.” He retracted his hand with a laugh. 

Tifa dropped her jaw. “Wha... why you...!” 

“No need to feel sorry. It wasn't serious on my part, and she was good friend. People think I'm missing out on the joys of having a girlfriend. But I say that they're also missing out on the joys of being happily single. It's as if they're embarrassed of the idea of being on their own.” 

He let his head fall back, staring at the sky and the tall buildings that framed it. “If I do end up finding romance in the wilds,” he mused, “I only hope it won't be hampered by why I came here to do.” 

Tifa went rigid, hearing a sudden chill creep in behind his smile. 

“What you came here to do?” she asked. 

Cloud chuckled and waved it off. “It would nice if you don’t tell anyone I said that. Otherwise, Mr. Tuesti would get upset.” 

He gazed at the two kittens with a deep yearning and leaned forward. “Ah, I shall call you Diana and Vesta, and you shall both me mine, and you shall be my Diana and Vesta.” 

“Whaaaaaaaat?” Tifa drawled (totally confused). 

Cloud straightened up and marched towards the entrance of the pet shop with a purpose. At first, Tifa stood where she was, still not comprehending the situation, but when she saw him open the door and reach for his wallet, her eyes flashed wide, and she went after him. 

“Come on, Cloud! Tell me you're joking. You’re not actually serious, are you? We don't have time to buy a pet!”

 

00000

 

The hacking session continued on. As more and more information was being found, Barret and Vincent put them all to the side and explored the “Cameo Omega Project” thoroughly and extensively. The fruits, so far, were very few. 

Even when they clicked on the links, the clues they had to offer were roundabout; there were many words but very little facts. And anything useful was written in such technological jargon or shown in such cryptic graphics that Barret and Vincent couldn’t make heads or tails of what it meant. Undaunted, they still printed it all out. There were two more links to go. 

“All I can make out,” Vincent groaned, “is that it’s supposed to improve the Cameo System… and it has something to do with the unfinished Shinra Tower up in Pathea. Care to clarify…?” 

Barret scratched his head in uncertainty. “I don’t know much… but it all revolves around that ‘Tower’. It’s almost like a satellite dish of some sort… designed to send a signal into a cameo through electromagnetic waves. From what I overheard, it’ll have enough power to hit every dome all at once…” 

Vincent jerked his head towards his commander in shock. “Why would the domes need something like that? A cameo is designed to transmit personal information into a master computer. Nothing is supposed to be sent back. Why? Are they trying to manipulate data?” 

Barret shook his head wearily. “I don’t know.” 

“Didn’t you try to find out?” 

“Yeah, I made _that_ mistake… and the very next day, I got to eat someone’s car grill and ended up _here_!” 

Vincent pursed his lips, his face grim. 

“If you put that into the equation,” Barret concluded, “whatever this ‘project’ is can’t be good.” 

Yuffie, who had obviously heard everything, trembled where she stood. “B-but… Mr. Tuesti knows about it, right?” 

“He already did,” he replied. “Said he already had a plan.” 

Vincent’s head fell low, his face hidden from view. Another stream of information popped up from one of the hackers, and Barret quickly put it to the side for Yuffie to print. 

“It all adds up then,” Vincent said. 

“What does?” Barret asked. 

“Don’t you see? It has to be the only reason… why the Foundation tried to kill Cloud in the first place. The grandson of the very man who headed the project! It’s because…” 

“Are you saying that Spiky knows what this ‘thing’ is supposed to do?” Yuffie asked in disbelief. 

“Why else would they shoot him? Right when he was about to leave?” 

No one answered. The trio stopped talking and let the new knowledge sink in. Barret cleared his throat and clicked on the next link, which led to the list of people who first lifted the project off the ground. On the top, there was a group photograph, and underneath, there was a list of names (along with their professional history and role in the project). The names were in order from the furthest left person on the bottom row of people to the furthest right on the fifth row. 

“If anything,” Barret said resolutely, “looking past his connection with ‘grandpa’, he’s as clean as a whistle. Then, I guess… all that’s left is to grill him on this… if Mr. Tuesti would allow it.” 

It wasn’t hard for Vincent and Yuffie to hear the irritated disappointment in his voice. Both of them heaved a heavy sigh, Vincent scanned photograph, and Yuffie continued organizing the ever growing pile of information coming their way. 

But as Vincent kept looking, he leaned closer, and his eyes widened. He recognized a face that was standing in the middle of the third row. 

“Th-th-that’s my…” Vincent stammered. “That’s my father!” 

“And that’s my old college buddy!” Barret shouted, pointing to a person in the second row. 

“What?” Yuffie asked, stopping her work again. She dropped the stack she was sorting and took a glance herself. She looked hard into the photograph and yelped. 

“Why is my Daddy there?!” Yuffie cried. “No one ever told me about this!” 

The trio was frozen in shock. Vincent kept scanning the photograph and noticed a man who shared Tifa's surname. There was another woman who definitely resembled Sephiroth. 

“I mean…” Yuffie continued weakly. “I knew that Daddy worked for the Foundation… but I…” 

“It seems we all have more in common than we thought,” Vincent said. “The Foundation… and now, this too…” 

In the bottom row, to no one’s surprise, Dr. Strife stood right in the middle. But right beside him, to everyone’s mutual horror, a familiar young man stood right at his side. A Mr. Tuesti from almost twenty years ago. 

“Please tell me this is fake,” Barret said, his voice drained of emotion. 

“No,” Vincent replied. “This is a nightmare.” 

Vincent leaned into his chair and let his head fall back. His mind couldn’t rest; there were too many questions. If their families and close friends were involved with Cameo Omega, and they themselves were a part of Titans 7, did it mean that the same team also had a hand in the Titans 7 program? And if so, why would they have anything to do with the wilds? How did this secret project and the Titans 7 relate to each other at all? 

Meanwhile, Barret sent the personnel list to the printer. 

“What am I misunderstanding?” Vincent muttered. 

Barret gave him a puzzled look. “Vince?” 

Vincent stood up abruptly, his eyes lowered in thought. Barret and Yuffie stared at him in concern, but he didn’t notice. The printed version of the personnel list came, and Vincent grabbed it. 

“Vince!” Barret called out. 

“I’ll talk to him again,” he muttered, “And _make_ him tell me…” 

He left the desk with hardly a word and headed towards the stairs. 

“Let’s meet at your apartment,” Vincent said. “There’s something I need to do.” 

Vincent rushed straight down the stairs, past the many desks of computers, and flew out of the door, slamming it behind him. Barret and Yuffie watched in amazement. 

“He was talking about Cloud wasn’t he?” Yuffie said quietly. “This morning, he mentioned something about going to his place… when we were in the rec room. I’ve never seen him move that fast before.” 

“Who would blame him?” Barret replied empathetically.

 

00000

 

At about two minutes to ten, Tifa finally managed to rush Cloud back into headquarters. To the shock and amusement of the few people in the lobby, the mismatched pair had come bursting in with a basket full of kittens and an arsenal of cat supplies in shopping bags; Cloud handled the kittens with care with bags of cat food and kitty litter hanging from his arms, while Tifa was stuck carrying random toys, and a scratching post. 

And if the two of them could hear what the onlookers had to say, they would have heard a receptionist proclaim: 

“There hasn’t been a boring day since Cloud showed up.” 

Cloud seemed completely oblivious, as usual. Tifa tried to ignore the stares. 

"At least we made it before curfew," she muttered. She scowled at him and muttered, "There's no point in telling you anything, is there?" 

Cloud replied cheerfully, "I'm glad to see that you finally understand." 

They entered the elevator with a female office worker. She lowered the bags she was carrying onto the floor. The office worker was immediately taken in by the kittens and scratched one of them behind the ear. Ten floors later, she stepped out and left, leaving the pair alone again. 

"Cloud? I've been meaning to ask… why do you even have a curfew?" 

"Mr. Tuesti is slightly overprotective," he replied in amusement. "However, that's… understandable. So I never break curfew." 

Tifa shook her head, not liking it at all. No one in Titans 7 ever had a curfew enforced upon them. As long as they kept their bodies healthy and remained on standby, which they always did, no one batted an eye. 

"You're different from us," she said. "You're _too_ different. Are you really supposed to be a member of Titans 7?" 

“Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it?” he replied. “Everyone seems to want to know lately.” 

Tifa scoffed. It was getting easier for her to interpret his lingo. "You're not going to answer, are you?" 

“If only I could. Sorry.” 

She leaned against the wall and tossed her head, turning away from him. Cloud joined her and slumped against the wall. 

"Things have… changed since you came here," she said. "And its not just because we're able to react faster to the outbreaks." She glanced at a panel that counted the elevator floors. They were still a ways off. "I miss my old job. It don't remember it being _this_ complicated." 

"I assumed being a female bouncer still had its difficulties," Cloud replied. "An unreasonable customer would have even less respect for you. I hate to put it that way, but…" 

"So what? I got paid." She snickered, sifting through her memories. "And it's funnier when troublemakers underestimate you. Even better, my old boss never tried to _manipulate_ me." 

"I'd call our good Director more secretive than manipulative." 

"Doesn't that usually go hand in hand? But... I guess you're right. Still, I can't stand it. Being kept in the dark. I have a right to know a thing or two, don't I? Like the reason _why_ we died in the first place? I'm not allowed to know why?" 

Cloud sighed, scratching his head. "Didn't you die in a fire?" 

"Come on!" she hissed. "Don't play dumb. _Your_ death wasn't an accident. Barret's death wasn't an accident. Neither was Seph's. Three out of six deaths. All having to do with the Shinra Foundation. What are the odds?" She snorted mockingly. "Does the Director honestly want us to believe…" 

Tifa stopped, shaking her head. "No. I don't even know _what_ he wants. I…"

The memory of her death was blurry at best. But she could definitely remember being alone in her apartment. The smoke in her eyes, her lungs. She couldn't breathe. Too hot, too unbearably hot. Nowhere to go. No way out... 

"The fire…" She shivered at her nightmarish thoughts. "It was supposed to be an accident. Was someone… trying to kill me? Why me? Why us?" 

His arm snaked around her shoulder, and he reeled her in close. Tifa flinched and started to pull away. "What are you…?" 

"Relax," he said. "Please... relax. Calm down. Let's stop thinking nasty thoughts for a moment." 

“But...” 

“Just pet the kittens, Miss Lockheart.” He looked down at them and smiled. They had fallen asleep in the basket. There were twenty floors to go. Tifa sighed and did as she was told, brushing her fingers against their fur. 

"You're only half-right,” he said. “It's no coincidence that we were all saved. And it's no coincidence that the three of us were killed by the Foundation. I know… I can't tell it to you any straighter than our Director can, but trust me when i say this: it _was_ an accident. Your death was an accident… so rest easy on that. You're here right now… because there was someone Mr. Tuesti knew. Someone who loved you... and wanted you to live on. " 

Her stomach tightened, and she breathed out through her nose. And yet, she relaxed under his arm. “Why do you know all these things?” 

Cloud shrugged. “I have the misfortunate... of being in the position to know.” 

Tifa groaned in disbelief. “'Misfortune', you say. Who the hell are you?” 

“In the grand scheme of things,” he replied. “I'm nobody. For now, at least. And that's precisely where my strength lies. But that's a subject I'm still not allowed to discuss. So let's talk about what everyone else thinks of me!” 

Tifa rubbed her forehead. “Oh boy.” 

“For instance, there's Mr. Wallace. He _despises_ me.” 

Cloud declared it with such bluntness that Tifa opened her mouth to protest. “Ah come on! You're exaggerating, and ...” 

He lifted a hand, signaling her to stop. “Oh, don’t try to deny it. It’s true. He _thinks_ I'm Mr. Tuesti's pet. But the truth is, he just has high expectations for me. And I won't let him down.” Cloud frowned and clicked his teeth. “To be quite honest, I'm a little frightened at the prospect.” 

Tifa tossed her head at him. “You saying that actually frightens _me_!” 

“On the other hand,” he continued, “Mr. Valentine thinks I’m a poor unfortunate stuck in the Director's claws. He doesn’t trust a lick of Mr. Tuesti. And Miss Kisaragi… we don’t talk much, but I’m pretty certain she thinks I’m a freak of nature. And I suppose she's right. At least she likes my cakes. And you? What do you think of me?” 

Tifa flinched and became very uncomfortable. Cloud stared at her with curious, beady eyes. She suddenly felt the urge to flee the elevator, which she was unfortunately trapped inside. 

“You're a mystery,” she answered. “And yet, you're also... so ordinary. A weird, twisted kind of ordinary... that I just can't leave alone. I'm wondering if I should give up trying to figure you out.” 

Cloud tilted his head back and snickered. “Ah, don't give up. I'd be disappointed if you did.” 

“Cloud,” she warned. 

He raised his hands piously. “Sorry.” He didn't sound apologetic at all. 

The elevator stopped and the doors mercifully opened. Cloud stepped out first and sat the kittens and the bags on the floor in order to get out his card. Tifa followed, took a deep breath, and waited without sitting her load down. Cloud gained entrance into his home and carried the kittens inside first before anything else. 

“I've gotten used to it,” he said reflectively. “Everyone having completely different opinions of me. It’s lovely having so many faces beyond my control… almost like a warm, cushy security blanket. But then again, it's not bad when I meet those rare people. Sephiroth... Parker... and Zack. Eventually, they see past the madness... and they figure out what's really important. And I'm beginning to think _you're_ very much the same.” 

Cloud disappeared with the basket into the living room at the end of the hall. Tifa carried the bags into the living room, and he had already passed through. She dropped them on the floor and returned outside for the rest. 

As she stooped down to grab the last of the bags, Tifa stalled for a moment and frowned. 

“And what exactly is 'important'?” she mumbled to herself. 

When she picked up the bags and walked back inside, Cloud was already waiting to claim them. He took them from her and let out a satisfied breath. 

“Well, I had a good time,” he said. “I’ll see you later, then. Goodnight.” 

Tifa winced. He was dismissing her? Just like that? Usually, Cloud would invite her for tea or pull her into a conversation about a book Uma brought him. But tonight, he was shooing her out? 

“Uh…” she managed to reply. 

“What?” he asked. “Is there something you need?” 

“Well… no.” 

“Do we need to talk about something?” 

Tifa shook her head. “No, never mind. Goodnight, Cloud.” 

She gave him an awkward smile, turned around, and started to leave. She walked towards the door, and it slid open to let her out. Then he suddenly called out to her in a soft, gentle voice. 

“Miss Lockheart.” 

She stopped in the middle of the doorway, and he came towards her. They stood face to face. “What?” she asked, raising her brow. 

Cloud examined her face, his eyes darting curiously. He pinched a lock of her hair between his fingers, hooked it behind her ear, and delivered a gentle peck to her cheek. For a moment, she took a deep breath and rose into it, her lips tightening. Then, she went rigid and stumbled back in shock. The imprint tingled against her skin. 

“C-Cloud!” she stammered. 

“I hope that doesn't count as trying something,” he said. “Goodnight.” He smiled wide and turned around, heading back down the hall. He disappeared from around the corner, and the door slid between them, shutting her out. 

Tifa willed herself back into the elevator. She rode down to her floor, cupping her cheek all the way. 

“You're a sly one, Cloud Strife.”

 

 

00000

 

Cloud sighed, with a hint of guilt under his breath, and headed into the kitchen with the bags of cat food. He took the cat food out and quickly organized in an empty cabinet. After that, he grabbed a pair of scissors and rushed back to the pile of bags to get the kitty litter and a large sandbox. 

“She'll be back soon,” he mumbled to himself. “Got to hurry.” 

He carried to the other side of the apartment, went up a flight of stairs, walked past his bedroom, and entered a small office, where he had set the kittens to rest in their basket. They were still sleeping. He quietly set up the kitty litter for them before bidding them goodnight with a gentle pet. 

“Don’t ruin my furniture while I’m out,” he warned. 

Cloud left the room and went to his bedroom and into his closet. He picked up a backpack that was sitting in the corner. He walked out and grabbed a folded piece of paper that was sitting on bed for leaving the bedroom. He took a deep breath to calm himself. 

He went into the kitchen for the last time. He picked up one of his recipe books from the shelf and stuck the paper between the pages before putting it back. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a large lunchbox, which was slightly heavy, and trudged onward, slinging the hefty thing over his shoulder. 

And he left the apartment. 

Knowing that he would not be able to access the elevator for a while, Cloud continued further down the hall, turned a corner, and came to a second elevator. He pressed the down button, and the doors opened in half a minute. 

_It’s a good thing this elevator isn’t used very much,_ he mused thankfully, before stepping in. 

Below the floor buttons, there was a slot. Cloud pulled out his card and pushed it in. The buttons flashed a bright red, and he pulled it out. He pressed a key that was labeled “O” and leaned against the wall as the elevator closed. 

Cloud rode alone for about thirty floors. The elevator stopped and opened on a medical floor, and Sephiroth was waiting on the other side. 

“Hi,” Cloud greeted. “Lovely evening, isn’t it?” 

Sephiroth grinned and joined him in the elevator. “I sure hope so.” 

The ride continued down without interruption. Cloud yawned. 

“Ah, I’ve always wanted to ride in this elevator,” Sephiroth admitted. 

“Just because this is Mr. Tuesti’s private elevator?” Cloud asked teasingly. “Hmmm… Miss Gainsborough and I ride it when we’re in a hurry. That must make us special!” 

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “I don’t know about Aerith, but you’re special in more ways than one, my friend.” 

Cloud stuck up his nose in mock-indignation. “How rude.” 

“It took me a lot a trouble to get to it, though. I had to ride down to that medical floor and find it.” 

“Of course not. There are only five floors that can access it in this entire building. And even then, you have to get past security to enter Mr. Tuesti’s penthouse.” 

“That makes sense.” 

Cloud sighed and set the lunchbox onto the floor. He turned his neck, making a cracking sound. 

“I still don’t have a clue what’s going on,” Sephiroth said. “Mr. Tuesti wasn’t clear about it when we spoke on the phone.” 

“Don’t worry,” Cloud replied, stifling another yawn. “I’ll explain everything tomorrow. Right now, let’s just get to where we’re going and rest up. I need sleep.” 

Sephiroth wrinkled an eyebrow and shrugged. “You’re the boss.” 

Cloud grinned smugly. 

“So, how did Lucy feel about this? Is she okay?” 

“Lucy? She was all right with it. She won’t breathe a word.” 

Cloud nodded and covered his mouth as he prepared to yawn once more. He was quite tired. Sephiroth noticed the “O” button and became intrigued. 

“The other elevators don’t have that button,” he observed. 

“I know,” Cloud replied. “And that’s were we’re getting off.” 

“Never seen it before. Where exactly is it?” 

“It’s just below the lobby.” 

“You’ve been before?” 

“Only once. I think… it was the first floor I saw when I came here.” 

Sephiroth hummed, becoming even more curious. Cloud reached into his pocket and took out his cell-phone. He flipped it open and wrote a text message:

 

Authentic Homemade Japanese

page 81

 

Cloud then selected Vincent’s phone in his contacts and sent him the message. 

“By the way,” Sephiroth said, in an amused lilt, “what’s this I hear about you whacking someone with a baseball bat?” 

Cloud smirked in nostalgia.

 

00000

 

Tifa took off her shoes and wiggled her toes on the carpet floor of her apartment. With a tired groan, she took off her sweater, revealing a flimsy tank top, and threw it on the couch. She walked into her kitchenette to fix some scotch soda. Only God knew how much she wanted it. 

She fished out a bright blue tumbler from her cabinet and chose her favorite soda to blend with her Fernley whisky. 

_Didn’t Cloud buy me this as a ‘thank you’?_ she recalled. 

Though, she couldn’t remember what he had been thankful for. 

“I think I’m having a nervous breakdown,” she murmured. 

She filled a third of the glass with whisky and poured the soda on top of it. The fizzle and rising foam satisfied her. She started drinking it before she even though off putting the bottles away. 

“This is the life,” she declared, the alcohol soothing her tension. 

Her cell-phone rang in the distance. Tifa set the tumbler down and scampered out of the kitchenette to retrieve it. Vincent’s caller ID flashed on the screen. She flipped it open and wedged it between her ear and shoulder. 

“Vince?” she asked. 

“Tifa, where’s Cloud?” Vincent pleaded. “Is he with you?” 

Tifa sighed in defeat. _Cloud just won’t leave me alone either, will he?_  

“No,” she replied. “He should be home. I just left him. Why?” 

Vincent swore. “He’s not there!” 

Tifa stopped dead. “What?” 

“He isn’t home,” he said. “I tried calling him, but he won’t answer his phone. I know he has it, though. He sent me a text message just now!” 

Tifa shut her eyes tight and rubbed her head. A headache was coming on. 

“Where are you?” she asked. 

“Standing right in front his place,” he answered. “I’ve rung the doorbell about a million times now!” 

“I’ll be right there.” 

“Hurry! This is important!” 

Tifa closed her phone and gritted her teeth. She walked back to her kitchenette, picked up the tumbler, and downed the drink in under a minute. She had wanted to savor it, but her plans had been diced. 

“This had better be good,” Tifa muttered, before putting her shoes back on. She grabbed her keys and the pass card to Cloud’s apartment, which had been sitting on her coffee table, and walked out of her apartment again. She didn’t bother to put on her sweater.

 

00000

 

When Tifa finally arrived on the ninety-eighth floor, Vincent was pacing back and forth near the door like a tiger. He stopped as soon as he saw her, and she hopped out of the elevator, nearly running into him. 

“Is he still not answering?” Tifa inquired. 

Vincent, instead of answering her, flashed the picture of the Cameo Omega team in her face. 

“Do you recognize anyone in this photo?” he asked. 

Tifa gave him a stunned look but turned her attention to the picture. She looked hard, examining their faces, until her eyes became fixated on one person. She pointed to a man on the top row. 

“That’s my uncle, Xenos,” she said. “What is this?” 

“This is a team that’s been working on a top-secret project.” he told her. “They all worked for the Foundation. Have you heard of Cameo Omega?” 

Tifa shook her head. “Never heard of it.” 

“How about Shinra Tower?” 

“I’ve **heard** of that. Aren’t they still building it in Pathea?” 

Vincent handed her the few sheets of paper that made up the list of personnel, and she scanned it. The contents, she found were surprising. 

“Dr. Enoch Strife… Dr. Godo Kisaragi… Dr. Lucrecia C. Bentley… Dr. Grimoire Valentine…” she found. “Are you saying that we have something to do with this?” 

“You catch on quickly,” he replied. 

“But why?” 

“That’s what I want to ask **him**. And now, he’s disappeared on us…” 

Tifa looked away. “What’s so important about this ‘project’?” 

“Barret thinks he was targeted,” Vincent answered, “because he discovered too much about it… and the same thing might’ve happened to Cloud in Quiterie.” 

Tifa breathed heavily in agreement. “That makes sense, then. Why else would the Foundation try to murder an oddball food journalist who was about to beat feet for the wilds?” 

Vincent stared at Tifa in concern. On the surface, she seemed to take the situation. And yet, her lips were pursed tightly together, and the light in her eyes was unstable. 

Tifa slapped the papers against his chest, forcing him to catch it. She practically stuffed the card into the slot and slipped inside as soon as the door gave her enough room to pass. 

“Cloud? Are you there? Cloud?” 

Tifa went into the living room and found the bags, still sitting on the floor. Some of them had been knocked over in haste. 

“He didn’t even put away the cats’ stuff,” she said to herself. 

“Cats?” Vincent asked, coming up behind her. 

Tifa ventured further into the apartment and continued to call out his name. Vincent took out his cell phone, flipped it open, and went to his saved text message. 

“ _Authentic Homemade Japanese_ ,” he read. “Sounds like a recipe book.” 

So, Vincent went into the kitchen. He found the collection of recipe books in the exact spot he had seen it earlier that afternoon and scanned the titles. _Authentic Homemade Japanese_ was nearly dead last. He yanked it out and flipped to page 81; a piece of paper was waiting for him. 

“What is this?” he asked. “A treasure hunt?” 

Vincent set the book down and unfolded the paper. Inside, there was a short, handwritten letter:

 

_Hello, Mr. Valentine,_

 

_By now, I’m certain that you have a lot of questions. What you’ve found was quite the doozy, wasn’t it?_  

_To be honest, Mr. Valentine, we_ _ are _ _rivals, but I like you. Mr. Wallace, I don’t care for as much. So, I’ve decided to cut a deal with_ _ you _ _rather than him:_  

_I’m sure you’re aware of my lifelong friend, Zack Fair. At this very moment, Zack has almost successfully defected from the Shinra Foundation, and he’s coming to see me. However, I know that he is still in danger. They’re going to try and kill him._  

_At the moment, I regret that I can’t help him myself; I have a task to do with which much is at stake. So, this is my proposal: I want you to meet up with Zack at Traveler’s Wharf (his ship should be the first to arrive tomorrow morning) and escort him safely to Wilhelmina headquarters. I’m sure you’ll bring a gun, if you’re as smart as I believe you to be._  

_If you’re able to do this for me, which I’m praying that you will, then I’ll show you my gratitude by answering_ _ any _ _three of your questions… even if Mr. Tuesti becomes upset with me. Remember, just_ _ your _ _questions._

 

_Good luck,_  

_Cloud_

 

_P.S._  

_You can show this letter to the rest of Titans 7, if you’d like. However, I’d recommend that you burn this letter afterwards. Let’s not leave any loose ends, now._

 

Vincent huffed and scratched his head. His cell-phone rang, and he quickly picked up. It was Barret. 

“You’re at Cloud’s place, aren’t you?” he said. 

“He’s not here,” Vincent told him. “And he’s not picking up his phone, either. Tifa had just left him too.” 

Barret muttered a cacophony of profanity. “That’s not our only problem.” 

“What is it?” 

“Seph went Houdini on us too.” 

Vincent went wide-eyed in shock. “Seph’s gone?!” 

“I tried calling him,” Barret answered, “but I only got a hold of Lucy. She says he’s not with her. And that’s pretty funny… since it’s their anniversary, and they just came back from a restaurant. It makes no sense!” 

Vincent balled his hand into a fist and knocked himself on the forehead. “This just keeps getting better and better. Have you tried the tracking system?” 

“I already sent Yuffie to the third medical floor. She hasn’t gotten back to me yet.” 

“I’ll go there myself.” 

Vincent hung up and went to look for Tifa. He found her sitting at the bottom of the stairs, typing a text message into her cell. Her mien was hard and tense. 

“He just sent me a text,” she revealed. “Wants me to take care of his kittens while he’s gone. But, he won’t answer me. He’s really not here.” 

Tifa sent her message and closed her cell. Vincent tried to read her emotions, but he couldn’t tell whether she was angry, upset, or scared. 

“I knew something funny was going on,” Tifa said, “when he told me to go away like that. He was acting weird tonight… he talked about himself… a lot. Maybe, something was wrong. Maybe, I shouldn’t have left…” 

“Don’t say that,” Vincent replied soothingly. “We won’t know anything until we find out what he’s up to.” 

_And maybe,_ he pondered, _he’s following Mr. Tuesti’s orders. As usual._  

Tifa nodded her head, but she was obviously feeling uneasy. Vincent offered his hand to help her stand, and he pulled her up into an embrace. She squeezed him tight. 

He would’ve liked it better… if she weren’t busy worrying over another man. But, he was too gentlemanly to complain. 

“Have you tried to track them yet?” she asked. 

“Yuffie’s already on it,” he assured her. “We'll find them...” 

“That's the connection,” she said, realizing something. “I knew it couldn't have been a coincidence. That's why Mr. Tuesti knew Cloud. That's how they met. Aunt Neha...” 

“What?” 

Tifa pushed away, turned away from him, and trudged towards the window. She stopped in front of it and didn't face him. 

“My aunt, she was a scientist who studied the clairvoyant phenomenon. When she took me in, after Mom and Dad died, I saw so many things...” 

Vincent went wide-eyed but didn't say a word. She'd never mentioned it before. 

“She mentioned it once... she met Uncle Xenos two years before my parents died. It was while she was holding an interview with someone. It must have been Cloud. It had to be. She must've interviewed him as a child! Why... why hasn't he told me? Doesn't he know? Does he remember?” 

He walked up behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We'll find them, Tifa. We will. We'll get this sorted out.” 

Tifa relaxed a little and nodded, slumping her shoulders. “Right then,” she replied sharply. “Let’s go and find those idiots.”

 

00000

 

 

Down on the third medical floor, inside the room that contained the tracking computer, a very intimidated technician was facing off with a very irritated Yuffie Kisaragi. 

Under normal circumstances, a grown man probably wouldn’t have been frightened of a nineteen-year-old girl. Of course, not every nineteen-year-old year old female was a tiny member of Titans 7… or had the strength of several men. 

The lower technicians continued the search with their smaller screens; they couldn’t have been happier not being the scapegoat for Yuffie’s outrage. 

“So, let me get this straight,” Yuffie said, her voice like ice. “You’re saying that Mr. Bentley and Mr. Strife are nowhere to be found in this city?” 

“Y-yes,” he stammered. 

“The only way they could’ve left the city so quickly,” she went on, “is if they made a jump through one of the screens. But you’re also saying, despite that, that the tracker hasn’t detected **anyone** making a jump in the last twenty-four hours?!” 

“…yes.” 

“And even worse… you’ve already scanned five of the nearest wild cities, and you _still_ haven’t found them?!” 

The technician sighed in defeat. “That’s exactly how it is.” 

“It’s sounds like a bunch of bull!” she roared. 

“I’m sorry, Miss Kisaragi,” he replied, “But if the scanner can’t find them, **we** can’t find them! It would be… like finding a needle in a haystack… with a blindfold!” 

Yuffie turned her back on him. Her eyebrows drew together, and she pinched the wrinkling bridge of her nose. 

“Barret’s gonna lose it,” she muttered quietly.

 

00000

 

On the very top floor of Wilhelmina headquarters, Mr. Tuesti sat comfortably on his balcony. As he overlooked the city skyline, he sat back in his chair and lit himself a large cigar from Valonia. He laid his lighter on the table, puffed on the cigar for a bit and chuckled to himself. 

Aerith stepped onto the balcony, carrying a chilled bottle of Chianti in an ice bucket. She took it out, opened it with a corkscrew lying on the table, and poured the wine into a waiting, empty glass. 

She noticed the simper on his face and smiled with him. 

“Tell me, Mr. Tuesti,” she said. “Are you really only concerned with protecting the truth… or do you just enjoy messing with people’s minds?” 

Mr. Tuesti turned to her, looked her in the eye, and his grin became lopsided. 

“Yes.”

 

00000

 

Vincent and Tifa arrived and practically raced all the way to the tracking room. On the way, in their frenzy, Vincent bumped into a young worker and caused her to drop a stack of binders she was carrying. Tifa kept going, possibly (or possibly not) noticing what had happened. 

He fumbled a quick apology and knelt down to help her pick them up. Amongst the pile of binders, Vincent noticed that she had a pass card. He helped her restack the binders in her arms. 

“It’s no trouble,” she said. “No harm done.” 

The worker stood up, and Vincent handed her the pass card she had dropped. 

“Thank you,” she chirped. The worker walked past him, and he watched her silently. She walked only a few doors away, stopped, and slipped her card into a slot to enter a room. Vincent gritted his teeth, and the door slid open for her. 

A door of protected glass. The door that closed behind her when she stepped inside. The door that was completely identical to the front entrance of Cloud’s apartment. 


	6. V: We’ve all gone AWOL

_Cloud opened his eyes. He was sitting on his knees in the middle of a sidewalk. It was daytime._

_He looked up, across the street, and saw a large, stone, seven story building that was being repaired. The area was fenced off. The construction workers were standing at a safe distance from the entrance; they all seemed to be waiting for something._

_As he continued to look, Cloud realized that it was Rona City Hall: it was exact location where the bug outbreak would occur._

_Just as his prediction had told him._

_Cloud breathed in deeply and got onto his feet. It was another day and another vision. He crossed over to the other side to get a better look, but he still couldn’t see the exit over the crowd._

**_Did we make it?_ ** _he pondered. **Are we both all right?**_

_There was a stir in the crowd, but for some reason, Cloud couldn’t hear what they were saying. The crowd divided, and he saw both Sephiroth and his future self pass through them. Sephiroth was using him as body support in order to walk._

_Cloud became alarmed and ventured closer, to see if Sephiroth was injured. From a closer view, he saw no bleeding and bruising. It only seemed that Sephiroth was exhausted or drained of energy. They were both laughing. Cloud sighed in relief._

_He then noticed that he himself was carrying a metal baseball bat. His eyebrows wrinkled at the sight._

**_So, everything will go well,_ ** _Cloud decided. **That’s good.**_

_But then, Sephiroth and himself stopped. The both of them were looking towards the street. Both were wide-eyed, but Sephiroth was more on his guard, while he himself was dismayed. Cloud turned around to see what they were staring at, and he stumbled back in shock. Standing several yards away, smack dab in the middle of the street, was the strange, feline creature._

_Cloud could only stand there, completely bewildered._

_His future walked past him, alone. He had left Sephiroth behind and approached it on his own. Meanwhile, Sephiroth stumbled after him but was forced to lean against the fence._

_Cloud watched himself as he made contact with the beast. His future self started to talk to it, but he couldn’t hear what was being said. A conversation began between them, and by the look on his future self’s face, the subject matter was very serious._

_And then, the creature suddenly generated more light from its body. It became too bright to see; Cloud squinted and shielded his eyes. The light disappeared, and he opened his eyes again. The creature had vanished._

_His future self was standing alone in the street. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but then, he watched himself wobble and fall onto his knees. Cloud watched as his future self collapsed onto the ground._

 

00000

 

Cloud woke up with a start and sat up quickly in the bed, as if his pillow had been set on fire. The bed creaked lightly under his movement, and he heard his roommate stir just a few feet away. Cloud swept his hand across his forehead and took a deep breath. 

A light turned on, and he squinted his eyes, stung by the light. Sephiroth grunted and sat up in the adjacent twin bed. Between them was a nightstand with only one lamp and an alarm clock. The rest of the bedroom was sparsely furnished, with only a table, a chair, and an armoire in sight. 

“Problem?” Sephiroth asked. 

“Sorry,” Cloud replied. “I just…” 

He covered his eyes, still smarting from the light. Sephiroth yawned in the background. 

_Get a hold of yourself!_ Cloud chided himself. _They’ve already told you about this, haven’t they? Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for? You knew this would happen eventually…_  

“A premonition?” Sephiroth inquired. 

“No use hiding it from you,” Cloud answered. 

“A bad one?” 

Cloud paused for a moment. He looked down at his hands; his fingers were buried in the sheets. 

“I’m not sure,” he replied honestly. 

“Is someone going to die?” 

Cloud caught the teasing inflection in his voice and snickered. “Not that I’m aware of.” 

“Then what’s on your mind?” 

“What are you talking about? I’m alright.” 

Sephiroth gave him a piercing glare; he wasn’t buying it. Cloud held his ground and said nothing in his defense. Eventually, Sephiroth huffed and gave up. 

“I get it,” he said calmly. “The ‘director’ won’t let you talk about it. I won’t pry again…” 

“Tomorrow,” Cloud interrupted. “Tomorrow, afterwards… you’ll be very tired.” 

Sephiroth sank back under the sheets and burrowed the back of his head into the pillow. 

“And you?” 

“Perhaps… I will be very tired as well.”

 

00000

 

Meanwhile, sunrise was already occurring in the domed city of Pathea. However, the masses had never actually seen the sun before. 

On the top floor of the Shinra Foundation’s headquarters, an automatic door slid open. Rufus Shinra quietly strolled into his darkened office and walked casually towards his desk, the door closing behind him. He had just taken a bath; his ash blond hair was still damp. There was an almost dreamlike mien on his handsome face as he made out the silhouette of his desk. 

Rufus pushed a certain spot on the surface of his desk. A small square of light lit up under his finger, and the windows of his office changed from black to glassy clear. The windows were large, taking three of the office walls. The light from outside brightened the room. 

The light that illuminated the city. The light that came off of the solid white that blanketed the city. The light being reflected from the hidden sun. 

Rufus circled around his desk to gaze at the view being offered behind it. Pathea, as he knew, was already wide-awake, but one couldn’t tell at his height. The city hardly moved, save for the neutrally colored cars that zipped through the streets below. All of the buildings were silver or different shades of gray. He allowed himself a very pleased smile and held his head high. 

“Beautiful,” he murmured. “Another peaceful day… so tranquil…” 

His smile suddenly vanished, and his eyes narrowed. _No, it’s not perfect. Not yet. But… only for a little while longer._  

Rufus ran his fingers through his hair and lightly touched his cameo, a small piece of gold-colored metal clamped on the outer edge of his ear. He smirked, and a small laugh escaped from his thin lips. _Yes… just a little bit longer._  

He heard the door open again and gracefully turned around. A tall, professional looking woman stepped into the office, holding a suit coat by the hanger in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. His eyes lingered on the soft curves outlined by her black pantsuit and her dirty blond hair that was pinned up in a severe bun. She wore very little make-up, just as Rufus preferred her. 

“You’re early, Scarlet,” he said. 

“So are you, Mr. Shinra,” she replied. “Were you able to sleep last night?” 

“Barely.” 

Scarlet frowned as she reached the desk. Rufus stretched out his hand over the desk, and she gave him his coffee. He turned back, taking another long look at the cityscape, and pensively sipped on the coffee. He would have one more cup that morning.

“Not that it really matters,” Rufus reflected. “After all, with such an elaborate and glorious event that’s ahead of it, it is much like a pregnancy. The closer it comes to pop, the more restless I become.” 

“Have you asked your secretary for tranquilizer pills?” Scarlet suggested. 

“Not yet. I might.” 

Rufus set the cup on the desk and went to her. Scarlet removed the coat from the hanger with care, and he slipped one of his arms into a sleeve. She helped him into the coat and straightened the collar from behind. Without him having to face her, Scarlet skillfully fastened the buttons at his front, resting her cheek against the nape of his neck. 

“Mr. Pryce and Miss Rochester will arrive in three hours,” she informed him. 

“Ah, yes,” he realized. “To discuss last night’s… incident.” 

Scarlet sealed the last button of his coat, just below his Adam’s apple. He turned to face her again, and she fixed up his cuffs. 

“Isn’t Mr. Pryce extraordinary?” Rufus declared. “He’s just what the Foundation needs: an individual who gleefully and obediently does as he is instructed… and goes several steps beyond.” 

“He is a true patriot of the domes,” Scarlet agreed. “However, professionally… there is more to be desired.” 

“That will change soon enough,” he replied confidently. 

She nodded and smiled cheerfully. “Of course.”

Rufus noticed a few stray strands of hair on her forehead and brushed them back into her parted bangs. He retrieved his coffee and deeply inhaled the scent. 

“You always make sure that you bring it to me at the right time,” he said. “Always lukewarm. Never hot.” 

Scarlet bowed her head. 

“I am probably about to send you off on a very important mission,” Rufus revealed. “Yes, that seems very likely now.” 

She looked up at him without raising her head. Her tawny eyes turned into slits. 

“Does it have anything to do with _that_ ring?” she inquired. 

“Yes,” he answered. 

Scarlet grinned wolfishly.

 

00000

 

Back in the city of Sandeep, where the sun still had yet to shine, Vincent rushed out of an elevator and marched into the parking lot of Wilhelmina Headquarters. Yuffie doggedly followed after him. 

“Would you _please_ tell me why you’re running an errand for _him_?” she begged. 

“It’s not an errand!” Vincent argued. “Zack Fair is supposed to be in danger. And Cloud and I made a deal. I’m scratching his back, and he’s going to scratch mine.” 

“And Barret doesn’t know anything about this?” she asked in surprise. 

The car was close by. Vincent pulled out his key and unlocked the doors from a short distance. Yuffie climbed in first, while Vincent circled the rear of the car to get to the driver’s side. He opened the door and sat down with a sight. 

“Barret,” he replied, “is about to have a chat with our Director. I’ll… I’ll tell him after we get back.” 

Pushing his key into the ignition, he started the engine and drove through the never-ending rows of cars. His eyes followed the path to the exit. 

“You didn’t ask **Tifa** to come with you?” Yuffie questioned, biting her lip. 

Vincent did not take her eyes off the path. He drove up a cement hill, and they were outside at last. 

“She’s…” he hesitated, “… she’s preoccupied.” 

“What?” she replied. “You had a fight or something?”

“She’s standing by just in case Seph and Cloud are found.”

Yuffie sensed annoyance in his voice and swallowed her own saliva. For a while, she didn’t say a word, and the drive was very quiet… save for honking horns and the windy roar of passing cars. She fiddled in her seat and constantly looked out the window. There wasn’t much to see at the moment. 

Finally, when she could bear it no longer, Yuffie reached into the pouch of her sweatshirt and pulled out two small bottles. 

“Energy drink?” she offered. “I noticed you hadn’t had any coffee yet.” 

Vincent briefly gave her a side-glance. “Sure.” 

“Mixed berry or açaí?” 

“Which one tastes the worst?” 

“Açaí.” 

“I’ll take that then.” 

Yuffie untwisted the açaí bottle and handed it to him. As she opened the mixed berry, he swallowed the drink in one gulp and frowned. 

“Disgusting,” he muttered. 

“I know,” she replied.

Vincent’s cell phone rang, and he answered it in haste. Yuffie could hear some words coming from the other end, and Vincent hummed positively in response. 

“That’s good,” he said. “Only a few minutes behind. Alright. Thank you.” 

“Is the emergency van really necessary?” she asked as he hung up. 

“This is the Foundation we’re talking about,” Vincent said firmly. “I doubt they’ll try to harm **us** … but better safe then sorry.”

 

00000

 

On the executive floor of Wilhelmina (the floor just above where Cloud lived), Mr. Tuesti sat patiently at his desk and pensively enjoyed a cup of naturally caffeinated tea (suggested by Cloud). On his desk, there was a file labeled “Cameo Omega Project”, filled with the hacking session’s findings on the subject. He hadn’t read any of it. He didn’t need to.” 

“I suppose I should find out the name of the hacker who gained access to this,” he mused, “… and have them promoted.” 

Mr. Tuesti was baffled, to say the least, but he was also very amused. The top-secret files that were accessed should’ve been extremely difficult, and yet someone was able to tap into it within a couple of hours. He tried to mull over the scenario in his head. The file had a very long password, which was known only to Enoch Strife, Mr. Tuesti himself, and eight other chief technicians of the project. And there was no guarantee that the password had not been changed. 

Therefore, the only way to get through the security was to temporarily disable the pass code block, and with the caliber of the Foundation’s cyber-security, this should’ve promised hours (if not days) of pain… if the security didn’t detect you first. 

No, it wasn’t an impossible task (which he knew from experience), but to have been accomplished in such a short amount of time was clearly abnormal. 

_Who on earth did this?_ he wondered. 

His intercom turned on, and Aerith spoke on the other end. “Mr. Tuesti… Mr. Wallace is here.” 

“Thank you,” he replied. “Please show him in.” 

Mr. Tuesti sat down his cup and shifted the file to the middle of the desk. The office door slid open, and Barret slowly but purposefully walked inside. 

As soon as the door closed behind his desk, Mr. Tuesti made a hand gesture towards an extra chair near the desk. 

“Please, sit,” he urged. 

“I’d rather stand,” Barret insisted. 

Mr. Tuesti sighed and pushed the file closer towards the edge of the desk. 

“So, you’ve looked through it already?” Barret asked. 

“What’s the use of looking at something that you’ve memorized by heart?” Mr. Tuesti asked. 

Barret stiffened.

“Were you expecting me to deny it?” Mr. Tuesti questioned. “Why would I do that? There’s no point in hiding a bomb that’s already exploded in my face. Not that I’m willing to give you an explanation… but it’s rather inconvenient.” 

He sat back in his comfortable chair and casually averted his eyes. “Where to begin? Yes… I was a part of the project. I worked directly under Dr. Strife, which I was very proud of… despite the circumstances.” 

“I see,” Barret said. 

Mr. Tuesti gave him a penetrating glare. Barret returned a similar stare. For a moment, they didn’t speak, and Mr. Tuesti calmly resumed sipping his tea. 

“If you’re waiting for me to tell you what Cameo Omega really is,” he finally said, “you can forget it.” 

Barret repressed a sudden urge to swear, despite the swirling emotions rising within him. 

“W-why?!” he asked breathlessly. 

“Don’t take it personally,” Mr. Tuesti replied, “but I’m not giving anyone special treatment on this matter.” 

“But we…” 

“To the Foundation… we are harmless. Just an insignificant organization that’s trying to protect a broken world. In some ways, that is true. However, if they realized that we were aware of this project, there is no measure to how quickly they would move to cripple us. No… to crush us. As you already know, that is the Foundation way.” 

Barret lowered his head in humility. Mr. Tuesti pushed his tea to the side and rested his hands on his desk. 

“You could have denied it,” Barret realized. “You’re name isn’t even mentioned in that file.” 

“No,” Mr. Tuesti corrected. “It is there. I just happen to understand that the Foundation never forgives a defector. Especially when being involved in a project like that. Actually, I’m surprised that I’ve lived this long.” 

He paused for moment, watching for a change in Barret’s demeanor. Barret no longer seemed alarmed. 

“It was that kind of situation for me,” he continued. “Out of all the people who knew the details of that project, and worked on it… I can guarantee you that at least seventy-five percent of them were delusional idealists. All of them were swayed by the words of the Director of their great Foundation. Either that, or they were simply well bribed. As for the minority, including your old friend, myself, some of the family members of your teammates, and Dr. Strife himself… we could not be bought by the Foundation. Nor could we be influenced by the Director’s charisma (the former director, not the current one, mind you). So, he resorted to dangling blackmail and blatant threats over our heads. It was… a nightmare.” 

Barret took a deep breath, reflecting on his superior’s words. Mr. Tuesti scowled. 

“I defected about fifteen years ago,” he said, “along with a few of my colleagues. With the help of a very wealthy friend. And in the past ten years, I’ve left this building… oh, about nine times. But you’re already aware of **that** , aren’t you? The only fresh air I get is when I step onto the balcony, and because of the building’s height, I’m not concerned about snipers. It’s probably unnecessary, since it’s very likely that the current director doesn’t know my face… but one can’t afford to be careless.” 

Mr. Tuesti eyed the file wearily and sighed. “However, this turn of events unnerves me a little. When I authorized this hacking session, I never anticipated that you’d gain access to this. The security around this information was supposed to be rock solid. Who was the hacker who opened this?” 

Barret bit his lip. “About that. We have a problem.” 

Mr. Tuesti puffed sharply through his nose. “There’s always a problem. What is it?” 

Barret raised his head higher and looked his superior straight in the eye. He cleared his throat. 

“There were twenty-four hackers in that room,” he began. “I know that for sure because all of the desks where filled… two columns and twelve rows. But none of them took credit for finding the file. Even worse… Vincent looked over the personnel list and pointed out to me… that someone from the hacking department had been transferred to a different department almost three weeks ago. There should’ve been only twenty three hackers in that room.” 

Mr. Tuesti’s nostrils flared, and his face turned red. Barret grunted in embarrassment. In an attempt to keep himself under control, Mr. Tuesti picked up his teacup, threw his head back, and finished it off in one gulp. The teacup came back down to the desk, almost missing the saucer. 

“What information was this mystery person supposedly assigned to research?” Mr. Tuesti asked, in a disturbingly calm voice. 

“Dr. Strife’s career background,” Barret replied. “But as for the other five people were looking with him… none of them even realized that anything was wrong… until it was too late. Two of them think it was a man, but both of their descriptions were different.” 

“So… what you’re basically telling me is that an unidentified twenty-fourth person, who did not belong to that room, snuck in, took a seat, hacked into a nearly impenetrable file at an impossible speed, sat the information before us, and then quietly disappeared to only God knows where… without anyone being the wiser?” 

“Basically. I guess it doesn’t help that the hacking team wears uniforms.” 

“I’m changing that policy.” 

The intercom turned on again, and Aerith interrupted. “Excuse me, Mr. Tuesti. Sorry to intrude, but it’s **him** on line one.” 

Mr. Tuesti simmered down and thanked her congenially. He picked up his phone, relaxed his shoulders, and put the receiver to his ear: 

“Please tell me you have good news.”

 

00000

 

“I would like to think it would simply be news,” Cloud replied. 

Cloud stood near the edge of a sidewalk, at the foot of a bridge; the Rona River was directly in front of him. On the other side of the water, he watched construction workers entering a grocery store and a neighboring toy store, both in the middle of reconstruction. The entire block on which he stood was in no better condition. 

“Alright then,” Mr. Tuesti said resignedly. “Let’s have it.” 

“It is 6:27 am in Rona,” Cloud announced, “and we are about to head out to point zero.” 

“Splendid. Anything else?” 

A small motorboat made a beeline across the narrow canal and whizzed past him. Some water sprinkled on the cement. 

“It seems…” he said quietly. “No. We’re about to enter the next phase in our agenda.” 

“Now?!” Mr. Tuesti cried. “Are… are you certain?” 

Cloud swallowed and said nothing. 

“Well?” 

“Y-yes. Absolutely certain.” 

Nearby, a power drill started up. Cloud frowned and walked away; he plugged his ear and strained to hear Mr. Tuesti’s reply. _In retrospect, perhaps taking a call outside wasn’t such a bright idea._  

“This… this is wonderful!” Mr. Tuesti answered ecstatically. “This is a Godsend! I know we couldn’t have predicted it ourselves… but I at least didn’t expect this to happen until much later. When exactly?” 

“Apparently, after a job well done,” Cloud replied. “But I don’t know the specific time.” 

He turned the corner and kept walking. The river was always at his side. At the end of the block, he saw the small, brick inn that he and Sephiroth had holed up in for the night. Unlike the majority of the black, the inn had escaped with minor damage. Cloud felt nauseous. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Mr. Tuesti declared. “That’s no problem. We’re well prepared for this. I’ll alert our people over there to be waiting on standby. We’ll need to get you out of there quickly. Ah, this is great! To be quite honest, I’ve been sitting on needles and pins for years… but finally… finally… I feel totally at ease!” 

The happy director was met with silence. Cloud stopped walking and did not respond. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“You said…” Cloud replied, “that after this was over, I would be ready to assume my role.” 

“Of course you will. That’s what we’ve been waiting for!” 

“Is that really all?” 

Mr. Tuesti paused in confusion. “What?” 

Cloud took a long, almost exaggerated breath, as if he were mustering up courage. 

“When this is over,” he continued, “is that really all that’s going to happen?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Cloud closed his eyes, and for a moment, the world became dead to him. The power drill was a distant hum. The early bird pedestrians went unnoticed. He didn’t hear the flow of the river. 

“Forget it,” he said. “It’s nothing. Got to go.” 

Although met with some protest, Cloud ended the call. He glared at the screen. 

“I suppose I wanted to force you to tell me if you were hiding something from me. But that would’ve been hypocritical. Sorry.” 

Cloud put his phone away and stretched out his arms with a yawn. He casually walked back into the inn as if nothing were wrong.

 

00000

 

Tifa had had another bad night. 

Exhausted from the lack of rest from the previous night, she had fallen face first onto her bed at two am, only to wake up from a very agitated sleep at six. So, she headed to gym with her gym bag slung over her shoulder. 

Even though she wore a bare midriff tank top and a tight-fitting pair of shorts, with her long, raven hair tied up in a saucy ponytail, none of the men dared to ogle her. They barely had the courage to give her a glance. 

Tifa entered one of the rooms, where there was a long row of punching bags and a special floor in the corner. She set herself at her usual spot, the third punching bag at the left side of the room, and fastened on her boxing gloves. She stared hard at the punching bag; it hung motionlessly from ceiling and gave nothing back. 

Tifa exhaled slowly and delivered her first jabs into it. She grunted, satisfied by the unique pounding sound that from each swing, and steadily sped up her attack. She never had to worry about damaging the bag or holding back her strength, for the leather was specially fashioned. 

Her regime was intended to be simple for the day, endless sets of organized punches and kicks. Her only goal was to quiet her smile. It never failed her before. 

As she firmly established her rhythm, throwing her whole body into her strikes, Tifa was able to let her thoughts run freely. Unfortunately, her mind kept going back to the night before. That strange, troubling night before…

 

00000

 

_Sometime during the wee hours, she had found Vincent in the computer room and approached. He was so engrossed with his work that he probably wouldn’t have noticed her if she hadn’t spoken up._

_“I’m looking over the records of the hackers we employ,” he told her. “Something doesn’t add up.”_

_Tifa replied with a hum and sat next to him. He asked if there was any news on the missing pair, but she replied that there wasn’t. In the end, she once again lamented having left Cloud alone._

_“He’s just following orders,” Vincent declared._

_“Orders?” Tifa asked. “Who…”_

_“Cloud is sly,” he said, “but he couldn’t pull off a stunt like this. Not on his own. This is obviously something orchestrated by the Director.”_

_“But that’s impossible!” she countered. “If the Director is behind this, then why is he letting us…”_

_Vincent sighed, and Tifa stopped._

_“It’s an elaborate charade,” he replied. “It’s all an act.”_

_“An act,” she repeated._

_Vincent nodded confidently. “Yes. We’re nothing more than a distraction. A decoy for all of the peons of headquarters… meaning us… perhaps, for someone else as well. And it’s all to make sure that no one finds Cloud or Sephiroth. He’s only pretending not to know where they are and where they’re going, and while we’re here, running around like chickens with our heads cut off, they’re probably getting some shut-eye half way across the planet. We won’t find them unless the Director lets us.”_

_“But why?”_

_“Who knows?”_

_Tifa practically shriveled in her chair and her head sank. Vincent gave her a slightly gloomy look._

_“You mind not telling Barret what I said?” he pleaded. “That’ll be troublesome for me.”_

_“I won’t,” she promised._

_“Go and get some sleep. Then you can fake it in the morning.”_

_Tifa didn’t respond. Vincent frowned and turned back to the computer._

_“He said… that he was different,” she recalled. “That the Director expected a lot from him.”_

_“He said what?” Vincent asked, almost distracted._

_“He said that everything was changing… and he was disappointed that no one noticed. He’s never talked that way before.”_

_Vincent suppressed a growl. “That doesn’t surprise me. And he’s right. Except… I’ve noticed at least.”_

_Tifa nodded._

_“Something’s been bothering me all day,” Vincent admitted. “Ever since you took me to his apartment. And a few hours ago, it came to me. I still don’t know what’s going on, but now… everything makes sense.”_

_Tifa straightened up with avid interest. “And?”_

_“Have you ever noticed that his front door is exactly the same as the doors on the medical floors?” he questioned. “Did you know that almost his entire apartment is under surveillance? Have you ever asked why he has a curfew?”_

_“I have wondered about those things… but what are you getting at?”_

_Vincent stared hard at her. “It was seeing those doors that made me realize it. Those medical floors… that’s every member of Titans 7 was… when we all woke up for the first time in this building. Where they stuck needles into us and monitored us day and night for an entire week… after that, they let us go. Wasn’t that a relief?”_

_He shook his head and chuckled unpleasantly._

_“But then… I wonder,” he continued. “When every one of us woke up on the medical floors, we were always greeted by another member of the team before we were released (except for Barret, since he came here before the rest of us). But, I don’t remember anyone doing the same for Cloud. The Director just introduced us to him two months ago and sat him in your lap. For all we know, Cloud might not have woken up on the medical floors at all. And when I saw that door… heh! They label those doors “medical”, but you and I both know that they’re practicing more than medicine up there. The ‘laboratory’ would be a more appropriate name.”_

_“Vince…”_

_“At first, I wanted to think it was just a coincidence. But no. It’s not that Cloud’s front entrance resembles a medical door. Cloud’s front entrance… it really is a medical door.”_

_Tifa swallowed. Vincent closed his eyes._

_“Are you saying…” she replied slowly, “that Cloud is involved in some weird experiment… that the Director is planning?”_

_“To put it bluntly,” Vincent replied, “if he was merely ‘involved’, that would be the best case scenario.”_

_Tifa sucked in her lip and clung to the fabric of her skirt. She took a deep breath, willing herself to clam down, and shook her head._

_“No,” Tifa said. “You have it wrong.”_

_Vincent sighed. “Listen, Tifa…”_

_“Cloud… he confided in me a little,” she said. “Before, he went. He admitted it, point-blank, that he was afraid… of what the Director expected from him. What the Director is expecting, I haven’t a clue, but it’s obvious now that Cloud knows more then **we** do. I know… I really don’t understand how he thinks, but I’m sure that he doesn’t think that he’s being misused. He wouldn’t allow that. It’s not in his nature! And although he’s many things, he isn’t stupid! I believe… that whatever’s going to happen… he’s completely accepted it. If that’s the case, and if there really was some **secret experiment** going on, then it can’t possibly be as bad as you’ve implied it to be!”_

_Vincent stared at her in surprise and disbelief. Tifa averted her eyes and brushed her fingers through her disheveled bangs. After a moment of silence, he turned his head towards the computer screen. More silence followed._

_“Tifa…” Vincent began quietly. “Are you…”_

_But suddenly, he stopped._

_“Am I what?” Tifa demanded._

_“It… it’s nothing,” he said. “I was just thinking aloud.”_

_Vincent rested his chin in the palm of his hand and busied himself by continuing to examine information. Tifa cleared her throat and stood up._

_“I’ll take your advice,” she said. “I’ll get some sleep.”_

_She rested her hand on his shoulder and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before quickly exiting the room._

 

00000

 

Tifa wasn’t sure how long she had kept up her exercise. Ten minutes? Fifteen? A half an hour? She quickly put a stop to her regime; she was panting heavily. Her body fell, and she ended up sitting sprawled on her knees. 

Tifa looked up at the clock, hanging on the farthest wall. Nearly an hour had passed. She wanted to slap herself; for nearly an hour straight, she had pummeled a punching bag at a recklessly intense pace. 

That was bad. Tifa needed her strength. She always needed her strength. 

“I’m so stupid,” she muttered. “ I should’ve explained it better.” 

The conversation kept playing over and over in her mind, and Tifa vehemently wished she could’ve convinced him that he was wrong. But she didn’t. And she couldn’t have. 

Vincent was a man who based his on available facts, not a woman’s guess and intuition. Not only that, just about anyone else could’ve found his assumptions to be believable and very logical, especially when one studied the Director’s behavior and the apparent need to conceal information from his own employees… 

Such as neglecting to reveal why every member of Titans 7 still lived, when they clearly met with fatal ends, and how they came to inhabit such abnormal bodies. 

Nevertheless, Tifa strongly doubted his views, and the center of those doubts was Cloud himself. She **had** told Vincent what she thought was true, but for some reason, she was unable to fully explain herself to him. 

Though she had already admitted that she understood very little about her runaway charge, she knew that Cloud was a staunch bohemian who always lived as he saw fit… regardless of what other people thought. And despite his eccentric quirks, he had a fully functioning brain. 

On top of that, had Vincent forgotten that it was the Shinra Foundation who killed Cloud? And the manner that he was killed in? With a sniper of all things? Unlike Barret, who possibly died for the same reasons, there was no subtlety in the way the Foundation got rid of him. 

Tried to get rid of him. 

Therefore, in her own conclusion, if the Director was, in fact, planning something dubious, of which Cloud knew some of the details, it was very unlikely that Cloud would allow himself to be “involved”. He’d fight it to the bitter end. And based on the way he died, she couldn’t imagine him being tricked or manipulated or even talked into anything questionable… even if his life depended on it (though she still couldn’t imagine him hitting someone with a baseball bat, but that was besides the point). 

However, there was no doubt that the Director had saved and was watching over someone who had made an enemy out of the Foundation. And be to quite honest, that only made Tifa worry even more. 

What exactly were Cloud and the Director facing behind closed doors? 

Tifa was bothered that her conversation with Vincent had ended antagonistically. Congenially, but antagonistically nonetheless. But she couldn’t, wouldn’t, go back on her stance. 

Even more distressing, she couldn’t help but also remember the last conversation she had had with Cloud… before he had unceremoniously slipped away. She, who claimed that it was her duty to watch over him and know his feelings, was unable to realize that he had opened himself up to her… until it was too late. And given the circumstances, he couldn’t have been more frank! 

“I’m so stupid!” she repeated. “So, so stupid! What is the matter with me?!” 

The punching bag didn’t answer.

 

00000

 

Meanwhile, as the sun started to rise over Traveler’s Wharf, Vincent and Yuffie watched as the large, black passenger boat slowly pulled into the harbor. Barely concerned, Yuffie leaned against the rail like a giddy child. Vincent, however, was making a note of their surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. 

The boat docked, and they waited. The crew scurried along the deck, and they waited. The passengers were let off, and they waited… intently. 

“Say, Miss Kisaragi,” Vincent said casually. “What do you make of all this?” 

“It’s like I’m reading a novel,” Yuffie replied. 

Vincent gave her a stern look. “Be serious, now!” 

Yuffie shrugged and exhaled quietly. “Hard to say. I don’t know anything.” 

Vincent studied the faces of the crowd, diligently searching for Zack Fair’s face. Without looking back at her, he continued to speak. 

“What about this Cameo Omega Project?” he asked. “How do we come into the picture? Why were our relatives mixed up in that project? A project that’s obviously nothing good?” 

“Daddy would never get involved in something like that!” Yuffie declared earnestly. “He’d never want it!” 

“But he’s definitely in that photograph.” 

“So what?” she cried, throwing up her hands. “Ah… all right. I can’t… I can’t deny that my daddy was a part of it. But Daddy… he was very strict and he had high morals. He raised me right! He’d never _willingly_ get involved in a conspiracy… definitely not one where someone would get run over or shot just because he or she found out about it! No. No, no, no, no! It makes no sense!” 

“Then what does make sense?” 

Yuffie huffed in exasperation and started looking hard at the passengers going by. 

“Isn’t it clear enough?” she replied. “If Daddy wouldn’t willingly do it, then the Foundation must’ve **forced** him into it. ‘This is the Foundation we’re talking about’… you said that yourself, didn’t you?” 

“Yes, that **would** be an easy theory to accept…” he replied bitterly. 

“I believe in my daddy! Don’t you believe in yours?” 

Vincent slowly turned to look at her; he was dumbfounded and almost confused by her words. Yuffie kept her eyes straight ahead, her face hardened. 

_Believe in him?_ Vincent thought. _But… it’s not that simple…_

And yet, Cloud’s words echoed mercilessly in his mind: 

_“Please don’t think badly of Mr. Tuesti,”_ he had said. _“And please don’t misunderstand your father. Everything they’ve done, they did it to protect **us**.”_  

“Ah, hell with it all!” he muttered. 

Yuffie’s face lit up, and she pointed at a person in the crowd. “There he is!” 

Vincent followed the direction of her finger and saw the man in question. Zack came walking out through the walkway, his black hair a bit longer than pictured in their files, and he was wearing a baseball cap and shades. Everything about his manner was cautious. 

Yuffie grasped Vincent’s arms in a very forgiving grip and yanked him forward.

 

00000

 

One the canals of Rona River, a man on a small motorboat slowed to a stop in front of the inn. Sephiroth glanced irritably at his watch, and Cloud kept a pleasant face and munched on a breakfast sandwich. 

“Sorry,” the boatman said. “There was a jam about six blocks away.” 

“That’s alright,” Cloud replied. “We have enough time.” 

“Barely,” Sephiroth added. 

Cloud loaded his bag into the boat and prepared to climb in. As he put one foot in, he suddenly froze in midstep. His face went pale in shock. The boatman frowned, wondering why he wouldn’t get into the boat. Sephiroth became alert and grabbed Cloud’s shoulder. 

“What is it?” Sephiroth asked. 

Cloud jolted back to reality. He winced, glanced briefly at his companion with wide, horrified eyes, and leapt into the boat. 

“Zack!” he whispered breathlessly. 

As Sephiroth followed him into the motorboat, Cloud quickly took out his cell phone and pressed a number on speed dial.

 

00000

 

“Would you all mind telling me what this is all about?” Zack demanded. “Where’s Cloud?” 

“Please be patient, Mr. Fair,” Vincent replied. “We’re taking you to headquarters first. We’ll explain everything later.” 

Zack grunted in resignation. He had waited to see his best friend for two months. He could wait for “later”, but he didn’t have to like it. 

He allowed the two “strangers” to escort him to their car (after, of course, Vincent had thoroughly proved that they were Cloud’s acquaintances) and gladly took Vincent’s offer to carry his suitcase. 

It had been a long tiring trip, jumping from wild city to wild city, sleeping on cots in the cargo area with a few other people who (for various or similar reasons) couldn’t obtain cabins like everyone else, and somehow avoiding being spotted by the Foundation. The crew, at the very least, fed them well and let them use the personnel’s bathrooms. 

Apparently, the stray defector was to be expected in their line of work. 

Zack scrutinized the escorts that Cloud had allegedly sent to him and decided that they weren’t suspicious… for now. Vincent reminded him of one of his college professors, and Yuffie reminded him of his ex-girlfriend in high school. And the letter that Vincent had brought with him was convincing enough, with Cloud’s distinctive handwriting and cheeky train of thought. 

But he couldn’t rest easy. Not until he got some answers. 

As they neared the car, Zack’s cell phone began to ring. Vincent glared at him. 

“Is that phone from Quiterie?” he asked. 

“No,” Zack replied as he reached for it. “I got a new one when I hit my last stop.” 

Zack looked at the screen, and a big grin appeared on his face. “It’s Cloud!” 

Vincent and Yuffie stared at him in shock, but he hardly noticed. Vincent, nevertheless, unlocked the car and went to open the trunk. 

Zack eagerly answered the call, nearly crushing his ear as he put it to the phone. 

“Cloud?!” he cried. “Cloud! Where are you?” 

But Zack was only given a strange reply: 

 

“All around the mulberry bush,

The monkey chased the weasel…” 

 

His jaw went slack. His eyes darted back to Vincent, who had already opened the trunk. 

“RUN FOR IT!!!” Zack yelled at the top of his lungs. He grabbed Yuffie’s hand and took off in a mad dash. Vincent could only drop the suitcase and chase after them. 

“What is your problem?!” Yuffie squeaked. 

And all hell broke loose. A large explosion erupted behind them, and they were thrown to the ground. Yuffie yelped, and Zack’s cell phone fell out of his hand. The arriving passengers and others present flew into a panic and ran away in all directions. 

Zack strained to get up, his body smarting with pain. Vincent managed to get onto his feet, and he was surveying the damage. The car was done for. Yuffie was sitting awkwardly, and she was bleeding from the head. 

Zack saw his cell phone lying a few feet away and reached for it.

 

00000

 

Cloud and Sephiroth had jerked their heads away from the phone… when the sound of the explosion nearly split their eardrums in two. The boatman was too preoccupied with his task to be concerned; the motorboat careened through the waterways and towards their destination. 

They were flying on the seat of their pants… in more ways than one. 

Cloud held the phone to his ear again, listening and waiting and hoping. A minute passed, and then, he heard breathing coming from the receiver. 

“Cloud…” Zack said. 

“Yes, Zack?” Cloud replied, unable to disguise the relief he felt. 

There was a sudden pause, with screaming and shouting in the background. The lack of response caused Cloud to become unsettled. 

“Zack?!” 

“Cloud… WHAT THE $%#& HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOURSELF INTO?!” 

Cloud pulled his head away from the phone again and dug his finger into his ear. 

“Well, this is a great way to start off the morning,” Sephiroth declared, smiling.


	7. VI: Trouble and Strife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> Nothing much here. A few fixed paragraphs, date changes to fit with the timeline, and Sephiroth's sword has been rightfully changed to a nodachi.

Rufus raised his head the door of the meeting room slid open. He was already mentally prepared for the sight that would befall him.

Two people entered the room, a man and a woman. The woman, Cissnei Rochester, who entered the room was perfectly fine. She was neatly done up, wearing a black suit that was identical to Scarlet's, and her medium brown hair was crimped and cut just above her shoulders. She held a white, rectangular device against her hip; it resembled a laptop.

The man, Reno Pryce, however, was a different matter. His hair was a bright red, falling below his neck in a ponytail. His suit, a masculine version of the uniform, was unbuttoned at the jacket, and his dress shirt wasn’t tucked. He held a similar device (only it was green) carefully under his arm.

Both were members of a small, elite team in the investigative bureau. There was no official name for what they were, but they were long dubbed with the nickname “The Turks”. No one really knew why.

 _The things I tolerate for this company,_ Rufus mused. He coughed and greeted, “How good of you both to come so promptly. Please, have a seat.”

Cissnei put her device on the table before them and at sat in on the couch that Rufus gestured to. Reno plunked himself down and kept the device on his lap.

“I trust you are familiar with the topic at hand?” Rufus asked, not wanting to waste time.

Both of them nodded.

“Good. Mr. Pryce, would you mind explaining the situation?”

Reno shrugged and gently put his device onto the table. He opened it up like a book, and it appeared to be hollow. He pushed a small button at the side, and holographic pages appeared inside.

“Well, for one thing,” Reno scoffed. “It woke me up and kept me up all night! At least, now we all know that this new program is full-proof!”

“So, I take it that the LOLITA program has finished its final test run?” Rufus asked eagerly.

Cissnei cleared her throat, interrupting.

“We still need to test out one final function,” she replied dutifully. She smiled and continued, “But… for the most part, it’s a winner.”

“That’s good to hear. Now…”

Rufus scanned the pages with quick absorption, and his blood went cold.

“The program traced the hackers straight to Wilhelmina,” Reno revealed. “And apparently, this was definitely not their first trip.”

Rufus rubbed his forehead in bewilderment. “But why?”

Reno kept a happy smirk on his face. Rufus waved his hand over the pages, and their contents changed to the next set of information.

“I don’t know about their other sessions,” Reno replied honestly, scratching his head, “but they were peaking into our citizen records. Apparently, they were looking into the life of some dead guy… Cloud Strife.”

Rufus paled and waved his hand over the device again. Sure enough, the first record he saw pertained to a general overview of Cloud’s identity:

 

Cloud Strife

Born: August 11th, 2050

Died: January 22nd, 2076

Age of Death: 25

Birthplace: Pathea

Parents: Unknown

Progeny: None

Assigned Occupation: Journalist

Known Associates: …

 

And so, and so forth.

Rufus continued to the next page.

“It wouldn’t have been very much of a problem,” Reno said, “if they were simply looking into the records of one person… though they did sneak into the files of some other people (I think they were trying to figure out whether or not he was related to Dr. Enoch Strife, and I’ll have to admit that the resemblance was blatant)… but still, it’s information that’s available to anyone in the domes. But… then, they decided to touch a top-secret file…”

Rufus glared dangerously. “Top-secret?”

Reno raised his hands innocently. “I could only detect which file they touched. I couldn’t break into it myself if I tried…”

“Which file?” their Director demanded curtly.

“It was called ‘Project Cameo Omega’. Apparently, it had something to do with Dr. Strife.”

Rufus held back his seething anger. Reno suppressed a grin.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t be that,” he admitted calmly. “Do you know how deeply they might’ve examined it?”

“’Fraid not,” Reno answered. “But if I were to guess… they probably had a field day.”

Rufus allowed his temper to simmer down, and he stood up from his seat. He quietly sauntered to the window that lit up the room.

“I see. It seems that I’ve grossly underestimated Wilhelmina. Well, we can fix that.”

He took in the scene of the city below. The view always calmed him.

“So, what exactly… is so special about this Cloud Strife?” Reno asked in morbid curiosity.

Rufus paused for a moment, examining both their faces. Cissnei feigned indifference.

“Mr… Cloud Strife… was a thief and a terrorist. He stole a key component to the Shinra Tower’s system. Without it, the tower cannot perform **any** of its functions. When it was discovered to be in his possession, he was quickly… neutralized.”

Cissnei gaped in shock. Reno whistled in astonishment.

“And you got it back…” she asked hopefully, “after he was assassinated?”

Rufus sighed tiredly and folded his arms under his chest.

“After the assassination was completed,” he said, “we took what we _thought_ was the stolen device from his persons. He was wearing it around his finger. However, when we managed to open it, all we got was a holographic message. It read ‘Ha ha ha!’…”

Reno pursed his lips together in a barely disguised snigger. Cissnei jabbed him in the shin with her foot. Rufus narrowed his eyes over the cityscape, ignoring them.

 _I’ve been an absolute fool!_ he berated himself. _So, it was Wilhelmina who had a hand in all this!_ _We didn’t kill Cloud Strife. We helped him make a quick get-away!_

“It all seems rather strange,” Cissnei commented. “Why would an organization want to know about a dead thief? Why on earth would this be of any interest to…?”

“Mr. Pryce,” Rufus interrupted, “how would you like an assignment to go along with that **final** test run?”

“Yes, sir?” Reno responded (very cheerfully).

“I want you to use LOLITA to hack into Wilhelmina’s security cameras. Once you do, I want you to scan their footage for the past two months… or until you are able to spot Cloud Strife in the recordings.”

Cissnei and Reno responded in confused silence. Rufus allowed himself an inward chuckle, imagining what was probably going on in their minds.

“But… Cloud Strife is…” Cissnei whispered to herself.

Rufus turned back to them with a grim mien. “Just do it.”

Reno leaned back into the couch, arm slung over the back. His eyebrow was raised, but he showed no objections.

“Okay,” he replied obediently. “And if I **do** find this Mr. Strife, what am I supposed to do?”

“Oh, you’ll find him,” Rufus declared with ease. “And **when** you do, I’ll be giving the next orders to your superior.”

 

0000

 

Meanwhile, Traveler’s Wharf was in utter chaos. The citizens of Sandeep had mostly scurried to their vehicles; most had driven off. For those who had just arrived by boat or had walked to the area, they were left to scramble in different directions and run for possible cover. The passengers, who had not gotten off, remained on the boat for safety.

As for Vincent, Yuffie, and their irate charge, they had barely managed to stumble into the fray. Vincent activated a tracking device on his cell phone. Yuffie was still disoriented from being thrown by the blast, so Zack allowed her to sling her arm over his shoulders for support… all the while, chewing Cloud out via phone waves.

“Tell me what’s going on right now, Cloud!” he interrogated brusquely. “No sugarcoating!”

“Well…” Cloud replied hesitantly, “It’s a pretty long story…”

“Summarize!”

Cloud sighed into receiver. Zack could hear a motor coming from the other end.

“To put a long story short then,” he answered, “my grandfather, Dr. Enoch Strife, developed something very dangerous for the Shinra Foundation. He then hid it from them… and now, it’s in **my** possession…”

Zack opened his mouth wide. “WHAT!?”

“Your parents’ lawyer sent me a letter,” Cloud kept on, “and inside that letter… was another letter from my grandfather, telling me activate the… device. But when I activated it, the Shinra Foundation tracked it to me. They… branded me as a terrorist… and had me shot.”

Yuffie’s arm started to slip, and Zack tugged her back. She was starting to regain her bearings.

“What are you talking about!?” he argued. “No one ever called you that. Not even the newspapers.”

“That’s kind of irrelevant. The Foundation decided to dub me **that** when I refused to hand over what they wanted. Though, when I received that call on the day I was supposed to ship out, Director Shinra was actually very polite…”

“And you didn’t tell me any of this!?”

“And you would’ve told **me** if you were in **my** shoes?”

Zack closed his mouth, and his anger dissipated somewhat.

“You done yet?” Cloud asked. “Or do you still have any more complaints?”

Yuffie finally wriggled out of Zack’s care and held her head in pain. She accidentally bumped into Vincent, who pretended not to notice.

“The truck’s right at the end of the wharf,” he announced.

“Thanks for warning me about the weasel bomb,” Zack grumbled stubbornly into the receiver.

“You’re welcome,” Cloud answered.

Zack heard the motor suddenly stop.

“Have to go,” Cloud said. “We’ll talk later. I’m going bug hunting.”

“What? No, wait!” Zack cried.

But the connection died, and he grunted in exasperation.

“Why that little…” he whispered harshly.

“Where is he?” Vincent asked.

Zack groaned and rubbed the side of his head. “Didn’t tell me. All he said was that he was going bug hunting… if I heard him right.”

Vincent went stiff all over. Yuffie finally came alive from her spell and forgot her pain. Zack noticed that the wound on her forehead seemed to already be scabbing.

“Bug hunting?” she squeaked. “ _Bug hunting_!? He was kidding, right!?”

“I didn’t get the chance to tell either way,” Zack replied. “Why? What’s ‘bug hunting’?”

Vincent and Yuffie glanced anxiously towards each other without uttering a word. Zack stared at them for a while, walked a while, and saw the truck waiting for them several yards ahead. And suddenly, some hidden knowledge in the back of mind finally made him understand.

“B-bugs?” he stammered. “Bugs!? You mean… those electric monsters that run amok in the wilds!?”

They gave him wordless nods. Zack’s eyes went wide, and his face turned blood red. He dialed Cloud’s number on speed dial.

“How long have you been in contact with Mr. Strife?” Vincent inquired.

“On and off for the past month…” Zack responded in a low, angry tone. “After I changed phones.”

He couldn’t wait patiently enough when he listened to the dial tone. As they closed in on the truck, and the door automatically opened for them, Cloud picked up again.

And Zack exploded.

“HAVE YOU LOST ALL THAT’S **LEFT** OF YOUR MIND!?” he screamed. “WHERE ARE YOU!? I’M COMIN’ TO GET YOU RIGHT NOW!”

“I’m not telling,” Cloud replied briefly, and hung up again. Zack gritted his teeth and redialed Cloud’s number. Cloud did not pick up.

In response, he raised his hand, impulsively intending to throw the phone to the ground, but he let his arms drop to his sides. He satisfied himself with a bout of hyperventilating. Vincent and Yuffie quickly ushered him into the truck and allowed him to find his seat first… with the utmost empathy.

“That insane little monkey!” Zack shouted, with a tone that hinted of righteous fury. “He really enjoys stewing me, doesn’t he?”

He covered his face, using all of his willpower to remain as calm as reason dictated.

“Who are you people?” he asked quietly. “Are you Wilhelmina? Please tell me you’re Wilhelmina?”

“Yes, we are,” Vincent answered.

Zack nodded, but he wasn’t comforted in the least.

“I see… so Cloud’s become a ‘bug’ hunter, and he forgot to tell me… and I’m going to kill him.”

Vincent and Yuffie didn’t have the heart to tell him the full truth.

The driver immediately shifted the truck into gear, and they were off. Yuffie leaned close to Vincent.

“Should we **try** to explain things to him?” she whispered.

“I’d rather get to headquarters first,” he retorted. “And I’m still in mourning for my sedan…”

“I guess I’m glad,” Zack muttered, still hiding his face, “…that **I** had the foresight to teach him how to shoot a gun.”

Vincent wrinkled his brow in surprise and said, “That’s another piece of info that was never mentioned.”

Zack’s cell phone rang again, and he looked at the screen. Cloud once again. He answered right away.

“Cloud,” he began, “I swear to…!”

“Keep away from the windows!” Cloud warned abruptly.

Zack processed his words and shrank. He leapt out of his seat (they hadn’t bothered to buckle up) and yelled: “DUCK!”

Yuffie and Vincent, now quite wise, joined him on the floor… right when a fusillade of bullets shattered the windows behind them. Yuffie squealed in fright and covered her head with her arms.

“I’m supposed to deal with monsters!” she wailed. “I’ve never dealt with people and their guns!”

The driver cursed at the front, speeding up and swerving the truck in order to escape. Another shower of bullets hit the rear window, and the truck took a violent turn into an alley as it picked up more speed. Yuffie yelped as she was thrown into Vincent, and they collapsed together in a heap. All the while, Zack kept somewhat steady, lying in a protective ball.

The truck continued on a steady path in the alleyway and grew still… as a speeding truck could possibly be.

Zack put his ear to the phone again. “Th-thanks… again.”

“You’re welcome,” Cloud replied seriously.

“One more question…” Zack pleaded. “I know you’re in deep, but **how** deep are you in this?”

“Don’t ask about the depth of a bottomless pit, Zack.”

“Oh, great…”

“Don’t blame me. The Foundation started this whole mess…”

Zack straightened up and hissed at his sore spots.

“I think everything should be fine now,” Cloud declared hopefully. “I’ll call if I sense something else…”

“No, hold on there!” Zack bellowed (after coming back to earth). “You never mentioned that you joined Wilhelmina! And you’re killing bugs for them!?”

All the while, Vincent and Yuffie were attempting to untangle themselves from an embarrassing position. _Mysteriously_ , Yuffie wasn’t in too much of a hurry, and Vincent was doing the majority of the struggling.

“Technically, this is my first day on the job…” Cloud admitted.

“CLOUD!” Zack roared.

“ _ **Relax**_ … I had a vision about it early this morning. I’ll come out of it scratch-free…”

“That’s not the issue…!”

“Sorry… I’ve really got to go now… duty calls. Goodbye… and don’t call back.”

Cloud hung up for the last time. Zack only managed a fumbling word of protest… too late.

“Argh!” he growled.

“What’s happening on his end?” Vincent asked, pushing Yuffie off.

Zack breathed out, taking everything in, and slumped against the cushion of the car seat. He had had days like this before. “He didn’t say anything… so, I guess, for now, I’m stuck with _**you guys**_ …”

Yuffie gave him a dark look, but Vincent was certain it wasn’t meant as an insult.

 

00000

 

After a full night of drudgery, Barret staggered into his apartment with bleary eyes. _If little Marlene’s awake,_ he thought, _I’ll just have to live on coffee and a cold shower for the next few hours._

It was relatively early still, and Marlene rarely woke up until eight… at least, before Cloud had arrived. Barret frowned at the thought; the only reason he could tolerate their new friendship was because she had begun exhibiting ladylike habits.

“I gotta get married,” he mumbled sleepily.

When he walked into the living room, to his dismay, Marlene was sitting, with her favorite stuffed cat, on the couch.

 _Guess it’s coffee and cold water for me_ , he bemoaned.

But then, when he focused his eyes on her, Barret realized that she was sitting in a heap, with her knees covering her face. All he could see of her head was an unruly mop. Her body was trembling slightly, and he wondered if she was crying.

“Marlene?” he called out.

Marlene stirred and raised her head. To his relief, she wasn’t crying, but there were dark circles under her eyes. And she was far from happy. Barret quickly went to her side and took her small body into his arms.

“Sweetie… what’s the matter?”

“I… I had a dream. A really bad dream.”

Barret relaxed. A nightmare was nothing serious to him.

He laughed a little and combed his thick fingers through her tangled hair. “Ah come on, Marlene. You never let nightmares get you down…”

“It wasn’t really a nightmare…” Marlene replied. “It was just… a bad dream… it… made me feel awful.”

“Well… I had a bad night last night. So, why don’t I make you a hot cup of cocoa while I make myself some coffee… and then, we can both feel better.”

Marlene smiled weakly and nodded. Barret hoisted her up in his arms and carried her towards the kitchen.

“I wasn’t really there,” Marlene said. “I was just watching. And everything was icky and warm.”

“Hmmm,” Barret responded.

“Cloud was there, though,” she continued. “He was all by himself. And… I think he was really… really sad.”

 

00000

 

In the office of Director Tuesti, Aerith stood before her superior with a messenger bag hanging from her arm. Uncharacteristically, she was dressed in a very casual cotton pantsuit of gray, and her hair was tied up in a long braid.

“We’ve gone over this,” the Director said. “You know exactly what to do?”

“Yes,” Aerith replied professionally. “I’ll take care of everything and bring Cloud back safely.”

Tuesti nodded, satisfied with her answer.

“Good, you may go now.”

Aerith saluted him enthusiastically and turned to leave.

“Wait!” he cried.

She turned her head, and he tossed a small object towards her. She fumbled it but managed to catch it in the palm of her hands. It was a chip.

“That’s music,” Tuesti told her. “Play it for him when he wakes up… as an apology.”

“Of course,” she replied thoughtfully. “I’ll make sure to do so.”

Aerith continued on her way. The door slid open for her and closed behind her as she went.

 

00000

 

And so, Cloud and Sephiroth had left the boat and gone silently and reflectively on their way to Rona City Hall. Cloud switched his cell phone to vibrate. Sephiroth tied back his long hair; to him, it was going to be _**that**_ kind of task.

“Why don’t you always tie your hair back when on the job?” Cloud asked curiously. “Doesn’t it get in the way?”

Sephiroth shrugged. “Never thought of it before. Or maybe… I’ve never tried to kill **twenty** bugs all by myself…”

“I’ll be there with you.”

“That’s very reassuring coming from a man who’s never gone bug hunting in his life.”

Cloud gave him a brief glance.

“I’ll have you know that I can **at least** shoot a gun,” he replied. But then, he stopped a moment and pinched his chin in thought. “Though, I’m not exactly a crack-shot…”

“I rest my case,” Sephiroth rejoined. “But I’m not worried. Twenty bugs scattered in a building… it’s not impossible. Let’s just hope that the ‘equipment’ waiting for us will be helpful.”

Cloud snickered.

They walked on the rest of the way without a word. A few minutes later, they were standing right in front of the City Hall building (still in the middle of reconstruction). The construction workers, a group of tank top or overall clad men and women of all shapes and sizes, were gathered outside of the entrance, refusing to enter inside.

A breeze blew against the duo as they observed, and a large, plastic bag slid past on the ground in front of them.

“This feels like we’re about to enter a ‘quick draw’ battle,” Cloud commented.

“You felt that too?” Sephiroth asked.

Cloud took a deep breath and moved forward first, heading toward the crowd.

“Are you sure you should be leaving your friend like that?” Sephiroth asked as he followed, not withholding his concern.

“Like I said,” Cloud replied, “I don’t sense that any more harm will come to them. And even if the assassins did catch up… Wilhelmina’s security would shoot them pieces.”

Sephiroth hummed in surprise. “I didn’t know our good Director was so fond of us.”

“You could only imagine.”

Cloud walked up and tapped the shoulder of one of the female laborers. The woman turned around, eyes narrowed, and grumbled a surly ”What?”

“Excuse me,” Cloud replied politely (not intimidated in the least). “We’re with Wilhelmina. Could you please tell us where our trunk is?”

The construction worker changed her mood in less than a second, and her swarthy face lit up in a smile. She turned to the rest of group and urged them to step back. As soon as they got out of the way, Cloud and Sephiroth saw a large, metal trunk.

Cloud reached into his bag, pulled out a velvet box, and took out what appeared to be a ring. He put it on, pushing it down around his finger to make sure it was secure. He stooped at the trunk and put the ring against a curved slot on the side of its wall.

The trunk beeped in response, and its top popped open. Inside, there were two anti-bug handguns (complete with holsters and cartridges) on each side of a shelf. The shelf automatically split down the middle, and each gun was pulled back in the opposite direction, revealing a long metal case that was sitting on a metal surface. The surface rose up, carrying the case up within an easy hand’s reach.

The laborers watched the spectacle with great interest (completely forgetting that they were waiting for the bugs to come and go, so they could finally get to work).

“That’s yours,” Cloud told Sephiroth.

Intrigued, Sephiroth opened the clasps that kept the case shut. He thrust it open, gazed at the contents… and froze.

Inside the case, there was a sword with a long, mechanical hilt. Its blade was sheathed, and it was thin with a slight curvature. Sephiroth bit his lip, and his expression grew dark and cold. Cloud watched his face with some amusement, as he put the ring back into the box and dropped it back into his bag.

Sephiroth's mouth tightened into an unpleasant smile. The corner of his mouth began to twitch. “I see. Very funny. So that’s how it is. Mr. Tuesti… he knows… he knows absolutely everything… about me.”

“He has a knack for that,” Cloud agreed, as he awkwardly adjusted the holster around his waist.

Sephiroth gave him a startled look. Cloud stared back, smiling blankly.

“No need to worry,” he added. “Mr. Tuesti is good at keeping _all_ of our secrets.”

Sephiroth scowled suspiciously. Cloud smiled defensively.

“Are you…?” Sephiroth began to ask, but he didn’t get the chance to finish.

The warning holograms appeared all over the construction site, and the alarm came on full blast.

“Mr. Tuesti says that we have an estimate of fifteen minutes until the rest of the group catches up to us!” Cloud shouted over the alarm. Let’s go!”

He stuffed the cartridges into his bag and marched towards the entrance with the exuberance of a child. And Sephiroth hurriedly rushed after him.

 


	8. VII: Point of No Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> Brand new dialogue between Cloud and Sephiroth, with more of Seph's backstory. After the hunt, Cloud reveals his true purpose for the mission... and the real reason he was at Tobar Ace during Chapter I. Seph, being older and wiser, promptly gives him much needed advice on his love life...

Wilhelmina headquarters went completely abuzz when the alarm blared through its halls.

Barret, who was still tending to a distressed Marlene, practically jumped in the kitchen stool he sat on; he spilled his instant coffee in the process. Giving his daughter a quick kiss goodbye, he raced out of the kitchen, through the living room, grabbed his anti-bug pistol from a table near the door, and he was off.

Marlene, already familiar with the routine, watched him leave without a word. She climbed off of her stool, retrieved a sponge from the sink, climbed back onto the stool, and cleaned up the spilled coffee.

Meanwhile, Tifa had previously returned from her workout for a rinse off. When the alarm had gone off, she shut the shower off and grabbed her towel that was hanging from a nearby rack. As she hastily stepped out of the shower, her foot caught onto a ledge, and she went tumbling down onto the floor. Tifa yelped as she fell down, and then groaned at the painful results.

As she picked herself, her cell phone, sitting on the sink counter, began to ring. Barret was calling her.

 

00000

 

Rona City Hall needed much more work before it was to be completed. As soon as they had entered the second floor (by stairs, since the elevators were now malfunctioning), an entire wall had been taken out to repair the electric wires, and broken floor tiles had been pulled up, revealing the cement foundation. And those were the easiest problems.

“Would you mind explaining again,” Sephiroth asked, “why Mr. Tuesti gave me a sword?”

Cloud failed to reply at first and happily pumped his fingers to the keys of his cell phone. Sephiroth sighed anxiously as he followed behind.

“Why?” he demanded again.

“According to Mr. Tuesti,” Cloud responded, “you are a practitioner of kenjutsu. You joined a kendo club in your early teens, and you and your team won quite a few tournaments, so I hear. And you seem to have an affinity for close combat."

Sephiroth frowned indignantly. “I see that he told you quite a lot.”

"Also, I have a question? Why kenjutsu and not fencing? Surely, there were more opportunities there?"

"There are martial arts dojos everywhere in the domes. The Asian populations like to preserve their culture. I stumbled on it by accident and got hooked. Besides, I tried fencing once. The snobbery didn't agree with me."

“Hmm. Makes sense. ”

“By the way, did he mention something about… the owner of the dojo?”

Cloud turned slightly with a smile. “Yes. He knows _all_ _about_ CAGE. I suppose… finding out that the owner of your dojo was member… really put a damper on things, didn't it?"

Sephiroth rubbed his forehead angrily.

“Well, what did you expect?” Cloud asked logically. “You think he doesn’t check our backgrounds? Thoroughly?”

Sephiroth overtook and walked in front of him. Cloud’s eyes were trained on the screen of his cell.

“Yes, but there’s no way he could’ve found out about me and CAGE,” he argued. “I didn’t even join them… and the incident was kept under lock and key!”

Cloud caught up with his long strides, sporting an innocent but serious glare. “Isn’t that what hacking’s for?”

“Not this kind of incident. Our hacking team is amazing, mind you… but they aren’t that good…”

“Hmmm.”

Sephiroth leaned over slightly, wondering what Cloud was so fixated on. On the cell’s dark screen, there was a layout of a building, two yellow dots that were moving along a hallway, and several red dots that were approaching very fast.

“Is _that our_ tracker?” Sephiroth asked. “Looks like we got an upgrade.”

“Yes,” Cloud replied. “The development center wants to test out its accuracy. By the way, did you know... before the Great Outbreak struck… there used to be a country known as _Spain_?”

“I’ve heard of the name,” Sephiroth admitted. “Why?”

“In Spain, the citizens used to have a tradition of _matador de toros_ , the killer of bulls. In other words, they liked to watch bullfights. The _matadors_ , the bullfighters, would taunt and attract the bull in the middle of the arena, by manipulating a cloak. And they would dodge the bull when it charged them. I’m not sure how they get to the end result, but at the end of the fight, the matador always kills the bull with a sword.”

Sephiroth stared in bewilderment. “Who in their right mind would want to watch _that_? Let alone actually do it…”

“Today, you’re going to play matador!” Cloud declared proudly. “Only… you don’t need a cloak because the ‘bulls’ are attracted to you anyway. **And** you’ve got your trusty sword!”

“Very, very funny…” Sephiroth answered sarcastically. “And I’m going to kill twenty ‘bulls’ with a sword?”

“No, you won’t. **I’m** here. And it’s not an ordinary sword, now. I’ll have you know that Mr. Tuesti and his development team don’t do things half-cocked. They’re even making plenty of goodies for the rest of Titans 7.”

“Oh… I’m sure the rest of the guys will _love_ that…”

A familiar, hideous roar came from around a turn at the hall. Sephiroth groaned in irritation.

“Stop nit-picking,” Cloud scolded. “He says it should cut through them like butter.”

He dropped his head, finally resigned. He moved his neck and his shoulders around, back and forth, front to back, making sure that none of his muscles were too stiff. He gripped the hilt of the sword, and tested it out. He tried a few downward cuts, getting a feel for it, and then twisted his hand and swung the blade, making an infinity sign motion with the tip.

“Cloud?” Sephiroth asked.

“Yes?”

“What are the yellow dots on the screen?”

“Oh, that? That’s us.”

Sephiroth puffed out a noisy bout of air. It didn’t take genius intellect for him to figure out what the red dots were, but he had hoped he was wrong about the yellow ones.

The bugs quickly reared their heads around the corner. Both men glanced at them from the other end of the hall. They looked at each other, and Cloud gave Sephiroth an encouraging smile. Sephiroth wasn’t sure if it was helpful. He gave the sword one more thrust, holding it at his side.

Cloud nonchalantly tucked away his cell and pulled out his gun, making sure it was loaded.

“After this is over,” Sephiroth told Cloud, “I can’t wait to get my hands on _that_ Director.”

“He was expecting you to say something like that,” Cloud replied.

Suddenly, Cloud drew all of his attention to the bugs and waved his arms, gun in the air, in a spastic frenzy.

“Hey, over here!” he shouted. “Toro! Toro! Toro!”

“You’re insane,” Sephiroth stated confidently.

Cloud stared at him, dropping his arms, and smirked mischievously. “You realized that just _now_?”

The monsters, lacking the respect of keeping out of a conversation, wasted no time in charging at them. Cloud took a deep, took aim with both hands on the gun, and fired at a target. The bullet lodged itself into one of the monster’s shanks, and it crashed in mid-run; it’s body shriveled and disappeared. He aimed as quickly as he could at another monster, hitting it in the thigh, and then at another in its thick neck.

Sephiroth uttered a low growl, and without further ado, he lunged forward, with sword drawn, to meet them. The bugs closed in fast. One of them strayed forward from the pack and leapt up after its prey. He skillfully sliced the blade into its neck, and its entire body was flung onto the ground. Another lunged at him, but he quickly kicked it in the face, sending it violently into the wall.

Cloud carefully ran up, several steps forward, and fired a killing blow into the fallen monster’s side.

Sephiroth made an abrupt sidestep, avoiding another bug that threatened to barrel into him, before impaling the blade into another’s back. He swerved around, making chase after the remaining danger, and it circled around, attempting to maul him again. He swung the sword over his head, and felled the blade into its head, through its head, and down to the floor. The cement cracked under the force of the blade. The bug fell down into a heap and vanished.

Cloud crooned in amazement (and probably would have clapped).

Sephiroth recovered himself and gave Cloud a dubious frown.

“What?” Cloud asked.

“So, you’re not a crack-shot,” he said in disbelief.

Cloud turned away, his cheeks turning into a well-blended carmine. “ I was aiming for their ugly faces,” he mumbled sheepishly.

 

00000

 

There was no turning back for either of them, _only_ eleven more bugs to go (after Sephiroth vigorously hacked a straggler that was wandering on its own). Cloud lightly jogged ahead with a bounce in his step, adjusting the display on his cell. The lights throughout the building flashed sporadically; a neon light exploded several yards ahead. The hallways were littered with metal rods and construction paper. They carefully stepped over the mess.

“I think I’m in love with this sword,” Sephiroth admitted unabashedly. “This thing really does cut through ‘em like butter.”

“Well, aren’t you fickle,” Cloud commented.

They stopped at the opening of a different hallway. Another lone monster stalked the halls, and Cloud promptly shot it. The bullet successfully struck it in the face, and it collapsed and dissolved.

“Headshot,” he noted cheerfully. They continued onward; the second pack was close.

“Methinks you’re enjoying this a little _too_ much,” Sephiroth said, with little concern.

“Probably. Tim thinks I have thrill issues…”

“…I think he may be right…”

“…But who are you to talk, Mr. Matador?”

Sephiroth’s expression curved in an entertained yet shocked smile, as if such a rare mien could never actually exist. _That’s a horrible nickname._

“Or maybe, I’m just happy…” Cloud pondered, “…Because there won’t be any casualties today.”

They quickly neared a hallway on the floor. It was easy to hear the blown fuses and the strange, unearthly growls. It was impossible not to notice the constantly flickering lights. When they were merely a few feet away from going around the corner, Sephiroth ceased moving towards the goal and stopped Cloud with his arm.

“What?” Cloud asked curiously.

“Wait a minute,” Sephiroth said quietly, and put his back to the wall. He slid across the wall and took a peak around the corner. The electric fuses, newly strewn, had indeed been blown, and the monsters lurked in the semi-darkness.

He slid away, and their snarls grew closer. The bugs were aware of their presence.

Cloud leaned against the wall, glancing at his screen. Sephiroth propped the sword up against it.

“The workers aren’t going to like this one bit,” Sephiroth observed. “And I don’t like the idea of chasing after them in the dark.”

 “Then what do we do?” Cloud asked.

“Aren’t you supposed to be calling the shots?”

“You’re the experienced hunter.”

Sephiroth shrugged in allowance. He produced his gun and cocked it. “Alright. Let’s fire a couple of shots (four or five rounds will do) and draw them out into this mess. They’re not the nimblest of animals. Unless one of them is the alpha bug.”

“Got it.” Cloud pushed off from the wall and maneuvered himself closer to the edge. “Since I’m shorter, please feel free to look over my head.”

They both peered past the corner of the wall, and Cloud’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Is it just me,” he began, pointing the barrel resolutely, “Or does it seem that bugs always make a mess of things?”

“That’s the way it is,” Sephiroth replied, while taking aim. “They’re like cockroaches. Only, they can cause blackouts and eat your face off…”

He squeezed the trigger without hesitation, and Cloud followed suit without a fuss. The monsters roared in distress, temporarily stalling their advance. Only a few of their numbers were picked off.

The pair withdrew quickly, Sephiroth snatching the hilt of the blade, and they scrambled and hopped over the metals bars in their path. Within seconds, they were being pursued by seven, angry, snarling bugs, growling for the flesh off of their bones. Yet the metal bars did their work, as Sephiroth had hoped, and the fiends, unable to run on steady ground, stumbled and fell all over each other.

Grinning and very pleased, Sephiroth turned around sharply and went after them, dropping his pistol on the floor. He jumped over the bars, and knowing that he had a greater advantage, he threw himself amongst them and attacked. Cloud watched (with some pity, if any at all) as Sephiroth sliced away at them with the mentality of an elated butcher.

He didn’t bother to join in or offer a helping hand. It no longer seemed necessary.

 _Hmmm,_ Cloud thought. _This is more interesting to watch than that movie I saw last night…_

But one of the bugs ignored the carnage happening around it. It was glaring at him, glaring straight at him. Cloud barely had time to breathe when it lunged at him, leaping over the metal rods with ease.

The alpha bug, he realized. The ringleader. It was coming after him. Only after him.

Mr. Tuesti had warned him that this would happen. It meant that everything was going according to plan.

He open fired upon it, but the alpha bug evaded the bullet and zigzagged towards him. Cloud was more stunned than afraid. He pulled the trigger once again, but the cartridge was now quite empty.

 _Perfect!_ Cloud thought in dismay. He leapt out the way, barely avoiding the monster’s claws and horns. He fell against a rod, dropping the gun by accident.

By then, Sephiroth had already slaughtered the remaining bugs and realized that his partner was in danger. Cloud, concentrating more on helping himself, did not notice him coming to his rescue.

He grabbed the metal rod he had landed on and quickly got to his feet. The alpha bug already charged at him again, going headlong. Cloud scowled and swung the rod, slamming it into its head, knocking it completely off balance. He brandished it again with a mean left, hitting the monster again with all his might, producing a sickening crunch.

The alpha bug flopped down, subdued, and Cloud proceeded to bludgeon it to near death, one brutal whack at a time. Sephiroth stopped for a moment, watching in silence. When he decided the process was taking too long, he came up from behind and fired three rounds into the alpha bug's head.

“Yeah, how do you like them apples?” Cloud muttered vindictively, holding the rod with an unusual firmness. The body of the monster had already dissipated, leaving behind bluish blood-splatter.

Sephiroth looked at the bloodstains on the ground, the bloodstains on the metal rod, and then at Cloud.

“What?” Cloud asked in bewilderment.

“So you were a just food journalist, were you?” he said. Sephiroth had a lopsided grin on his face, with all the disbelief he could muster.

Cloud flinched as if he had been caught doing something sneaky. But then he mirrored Sephiroth and grinned back. “Most of the time,” he answered. He dropped the rod, letting it bounce with a loud clatter. He sighed dramatically and clapped his hands together, as if trying to get rid of dust. The implication lingered in the air.

Sephiroth shook his head in reply. “Yup, you’re crazy. Definitely, definitely, crazy.” He would let the mystery be for the time being.

Cloud blinked curiously. “Weren’t you the one who just turned six bugs into shish kabobs right before my eyes?”

Sephiroth took a few steps, expecting Cloud to follow. Cloud stayed were he was and watched for a moment. And then, suddenly, in mid-step, Sephiroth became dizzy and fell flat on his face.

 

00000

 

A few minutes away, along the Rona River, Tifa stared in shock at the detector screen in her hands. It was empty.

“They’re gone,” she said plainly.

“What’s gone?” Barret asked.

The boat bounced, causing the both of them a jolt. Tifa pushed a button to refresh the screen, but she received the same answer.

“The bugs!” she cried. “They’re gone. They’re **all** gone!”

Barret seized the detector from her hand and saw it for himself. The signal for the bugs had disappeared completely.

“What the…” he muttered.Barret tossed the detector back in her direction, and she nearly dropped it. He took out his cell phone and made a call to Headquarters. Tifa watched, rubbing the device in her hands with impatience.

“Would you mind explaining what’s going on?” he growled into the receiver, without so much of a greeting. “The signal is…”

Barret suddenly went quiet. Tifa heard an incoherent voice on the other end, rapidly giving her superior a thorough explanation. If the situation weren’t so serious, she would have laughed at the stupefied expression on his face. Tifa was left to wait, hardly acknowledging the rough movements of the boat.

By the time Barret said goodbye to the informant, the boat had reached their stop, and they were ushered out. With a heavy, irritated sigh, Barret put away his cell phone and stood near the edge of the sidewalk in silence.

“What’s going on?” Tifa asked finally.

“The bugs have already been terminated,” Barret replied blankly.

Tifa gaped. Barret marched forward, still intent on going to City Hall.

“B-but…” Tifa stammered, following closely at his heels, “That’s impossible! There were twenty of them… and who…”

Tifa stopped, occupied with her own thoughts. _It couldn’t be! Could it?_

Barret made a spitting noise. “According to the technician I spoke with… there are two people inside City Hall right now… two people that we know very well. Apparently, they just finished up having themselves a little party… and forgot to invite us!”

 

00000

 

A few minutes later, Sephiroth woke up to water being poured onto his face. He coughed at the rude awakening. Cloud saw that he had finally revived his companion and stopped shaking the water bottle.

Sephiroth didn’t bother trying to sit up alone. His whole body felt weak.

“What hit me?” he demanded.

“The bugs’ energy,” Cloud answered, closing the bottle.

Sephiroth clamped his forehead, absentmindedly brushing off water. “Huh?”

“I probably should have mentioned this before,” he explained, “but one of the sword's main functions is to gather energy from every bug you strike.” He produced a handkerchief and started dabbing Sephiroth's face with a motherly thoroughness. “You felt a little bit stronger while you were using it, right?” Sephiroth flinched, his face contorting at the strange gesture. “Bits of that energy were going into your body and increasing your stamina. Once the threat was eliminated, your body absorbed the bulk of the energy left over.”

“What?”

“Mr. Tuesti also mentioned that it’d take a couple of hunts for your body to adjust to the absorption process. Hence, you’re very tired; you’re on the floor.”

Sephiroth glared up in annoyance. Cloud smirked gleefully and folded his handkerchief, stuffing it into his bag.

“And you knew this would happen to me the whole time,” he muttered.

“I’m afraid that I did have a vision of you leaning all over my shoulders,” Cloud admitted.

“You're a sadist.”

"Actually, I've been told I'm more of a masochist."

 

00000

 

A short while later, they both reached the first floor. By then, Cloud was well accustomed to his companion's grumbling complaints as they trudged through the halls and down several flights of stairs. In Sehiroth's mind, his job was over.

“There’s one thing that’s bothering me,” he said, as they entered the lobby. “Why did that alpha bug ignore me… and attack you?”

Cloud bit his lip.

“I want to say ‘if I didn’t know any better’,” Sephiroth continued, “but you’d have to be an idiot if you tried to deny it. That thing targeted you… deliberately.”

"Hmm… it did, didn't it?"

"Yeah, Cloud. It did."

"Well, it's only natural. That means I passed the test. The experiment was a total success."

"Wait a minute… that alpha bug. It was _supposed_ to attack you?"

Cloud answered with a low chuckle.

Sephiroth shook his head. “No. That can't be it. It didn't attack you at Tobar Ace.”

“I wasn't certain of that either,” Cloud replied. “So I needed to see it happen again. And now I know. It did try to come after me. It wanted to. But Mr. Valentine and Miss Kisaragi never gave it the chance. Don't you remember what happened? Think back for a moment.”

In spite of his fatigue, Sephiroth managed to replay the incident as he recalled it. Vincent and Yuffie had struggled with it. Vincent accidentally let it go. But it hadn't tried to attack. It had gone straight for the sidewalk... towards...

“Where were you exactly?” he asked.

“In the alley,” Cloud replied. “Right next to the cafe I was waiting at. It wasn't very far.”

Sephiroth laughed, finally understanding what had happened under their very noses. “What if they didn't stop it in time?”

“I was armed.”

“And you were actually out there for an experiment? I thought you were out there because of a vision.”

“I _was_ there because of a vision. I wanted to get its attention. Otherwise, Mr. Valentine would've been seriously hurt.”

Sephiroth kept quiet and let him explain himself.

“If the alpha bug wasn't focused on me, then it would've turned on him when he lost his grip. He would've gotten stabbed by one of its horns. Mr. Valentine would've survived, but then again, I highly doubt he'd appreciate a trip to the medical floor. I wanted to avoid that outcome if I could help it.”

“And why did you want to do a selfless thing like that?” Sephiroth asked, his voice teasingly smooth.

“Who said anything about 'selfless'?” Cloud replied. “We need all the manpower we can get. Besides, Miss Lockhart is very fond of him. And it just so happens that I'm very fond of her. I don't think seeing him hurt would make her very happy.”

The weakened man rolled his eyes to the sky. “Tastes like diabetes. They're not actually dating, you know.”

“I'm well aware of that.”

As they turned a corner down the hall, the path was suddenly blocked up ahead by a busted light. It was hanging by its wires, and the sparks rained down onto the cement floor. Sephiroth muttered a sarcastic, “Charming.” Readjusting the muscled arm over his shoulders, Cloud steered them both into a different direction.

“You ought to be a little more selfish with the girl you're smitten over.” Sephiroth spoke to him as if gently reproving a child.

Cloud stared at him for a moment, goggle-eyed and innocent. He turned away with a soft, introspective smile. “Smitten? That's a bit of stretch, don't you think?”

“Is it?” Sephiroth argued. “Why do you like pressing her buttons so much?”

“I've been told I have a knack for pressing everyone's buttons.”

“You had her over for dinner last week,” he recalled.

Cloud frowned, going shifty-eyed. “I made too much lamb curry.”

“And why did you create a special blend of spiked tea just for her?”

Silence ensued. The echo of their footsteps reverberated around them, bouncing from the cement floor to the walls of the building. Cloud turned a light shade of pink and sighed in allowance. “I'm plenty selfish enough, thank you very much.”

The older man scoffed at his partner. “I beg to differ. Because if you were, you'd have made it loud and clear by now.”

Cloud carried on, doubling his efforts to get them both out of the building. “Due to my circumstances, that's probably not very wise.”

Sephiroth managed to give him a pat on the arm. “If we're talking about wisdom, it would be wise to just go for it. You're not going to find a girl like her every day. She knows that your powers are real... she doesn't see it as an issue... she worries over you like a mother hen...”

Cloud chuckled out loud. “No matter how you look at it, she sounds a lot like my Zack.”

“Exactly. Mr. Fair's known you for years.” Sephiroth grunted, and the weight on Cloud's shoulders began to lessen. “The way you talk about him, you're practically brothers. Tifa's only known you for two months, so there's no excuse for her. And she visits you more than she actually needs to.”

Sephiroth paused for a moment, allowing his words to process in Cloud's brain. Then he returned to the business at hand. For the most part.

"I'm guessing what you've told me about the alpha bug is strictly confidential," he finally said. "Why are you telling me anyway?"

"I'm telling you because you _do_ understand that it's confidential," Cloud replied. "We know you'll keep our secret."

“And what about how you saved Vince from getting gored?” he offered. “Want me to tell Tifa for you?”

“What would be the point in that?”

The entrance was close, very close. Cloud trotted towards it, leaving Sephiroth to doggedly keep up.

“From here on out,” he said, “your work here is done. And now, I have to go and continue mine.”

“And what kind of work is that?” Sephiroth asked.

Cloud didn’t answer.

As the two reached the open doors, the construction workers were already waiting for their arrival. They cheered in celebration and excitement.

“Can you promise me one thing?” Cloud asked.

“Hmm?”

“Whatever happens next, please… don’t panic.”

Sephiroth glowered at this request. Cloud led him through the threshold without giving him a chance to respond. They stepped out onto the front steps of Rona City Hall, just as Cloud's vision showed him. Only, there was one thing that differed from it.

Neither of them was laughing.

The construction workers began to step out of the way. Cloud paid them no mind and strained his line of sight over their heads, trying to see the street behind them. And he saw what he was looking for: a bright form of light, barely seen in the daylight, was right in the middle of the street. The creature had, in fact, come for him.

Cloud sighed anxiously and moved forward, going down the steps.

“Excuse me!” he said, mustering a falsely whiny tone. “Would someone mind carrying this big lug for me? I’m tired of leading him around!”

Sephiroth gaped in offense.

A burly and very eager female worker came forward before anyone else. Despite Sephiroth’s quiet protests, Cloud eased his arm off and transferred his body into the woman’s waiting embrace.

“Hey!” he shouted.

“Hello, handsome!” she cooed.

As soon as he had let his companion go, Cloud ran off, alone, away from the crowd, towards the street. He stopped at the edge of the curb. He saw the creature, waiting from him to come closer. Cloud swallowed, but he was determined. He knew what he had to do.

Right then and there.

He heard one of the laborers cry out in shock. Others shouted in fright.

“Is that another bug!?” one of them asked.

They had finally seen it. Cloud didn’t look back; it was no longer of any importance to him. He approached the creature of light, walking into the street with a purpose.

“A little conspicuous, don’t you think?” Cloud greeted. “Couldn’t you have picked a better place?”

“My apologies,” it replied into his head, “but ‘conspicuous’ has no true meaning for me. Not now, at least.”

Cloud reached out and touched it’s head. It rubbed against his hand in gratitude.

“I hope you understand,” the creature said, “once you go through with this process, there will be no going back.”

“Of course,” Cloud said quietly. “And after this is over…”

“Don’t say that,” it scolded. “This is only the beginning.”

Cloud nodded firmly and drew closer, putting his cheek against its muzzle. “Yes. Yes, you’re right.”

 

 

00000

 

The construction crew and Sephiroth looked on in amazement, unable to understand what was happening in front of them.

 _Don’t panic,_ Sephiroth told himself (all the while trying to escape out of the woman’s arms. _He told you not to panic…_

“That’s the largest pet I’ve ever seen!” an outspoken worker declared.

“You moron!” another snapped.

 

00000

 

Cloud casually looked up. And stopped like a deer in the headlights.

Tifa appeared, running from around the corner, and spotted them immediately.

_Oh, for the love of…!_

Cloud stopped dead in alarm. She shook in terror and broke into a mad dash, making a beeline towards him. The frightening look on her face almost gave him heart failure. She seemed absolutely ready to tear the creature apart in a fury!

Seconds later, Barret barely caught up, completely unawares.

“Do it!” Cloud said in hushed tone. “Do it now!”

The creature’s voice answered robotically.

“Understood. Initializing Phase One of Cyber Black.”

Cloud gasped, feeling a harsh pain in his chest, as if he had been stabbed. The creature generated a massive amount of light, and the entire street became engulfed in it. Everyone jerked back, closing their eyes. Tifa was forced to a halt and covered her eyes with her arm.

And then, the light disappeared, and the creature had gone along with it. Tifa opened her eyes, lowering her arms, and saw Cloud, standing there, alone.

“C-Cloud!?” she called out. Her voice was shaking, but she sounded relieved.

Cloud, however, did not hear her. His vision rapidly darkened, and something was mercilessly being pulled out of him. He wobbled dangerously, and he fell uncontrollably to his knees. The darkness overtook him, and he passed out before the rest of his body hit the ground.

 

00000

 

Tifa barely suppressed a scream and rushed towards his motionless form.

Sephiroth urged the female worker who supported him to walk him over to the catastrophe. She virtually stampeded through the crowd, dragging him along with her. When they reached Cloud, Tifa had already thrown herself on him, trying to rouse him back into conscious. The worker finally released him, and he sank to the ground. He lightly pushed Tifa out of the way and turned Cloud onto his back.

Cloud’s eyes were wide open, but they were blank and empty. Sephiroth felt an uneasy impulse, a certain suspicion, that he was holding nothing more than a doll.

“Well, this is a mess!” Barret muttered gruffly, standing over them.

“That’s an understatement!” Tifa shrilled hysterically.

Barret jumped back with a start.

As Sephiroth held Cloud’s body, its weight quickly began to lessen in his arms. Before they had the chance to yell, before they could process it, his body disappeared right from their care, leaving behind only his clothes, his bag, and the pistol.

 

00000

 

“ _Cloud…?”_

_Cloud’s eyes were shut. He was half-asleep, but he could feel someone touching his forehead with a cool hand._

“ _Cloud?”_

_He uttered a low-pitched, grousing sound that seemed more like something a child could muster. This person, the intruder of his sleep, persevered in trying to wake him up. This person’s voice was very familiar._

“ _Cloud, I need you to wake up. Cloud?”_

_His eyes opened, but his brain hadn’t willed it. His eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room. The hand ruffled its fingers through his hair. And he turned his head to see who had woken him up._

_His mind was stunned by what he saw, but his body didn’t react at all. No quickening heartbeat. No hastening breath. Not even a shiver._

_A pair of matching, blue eyes stared down at him, wearing a pair of powerful coke-bottle glasses. The face was that of an old man, wrinkled with stress and years, and the hair was fully white and downy._

_Cloud’s hand reached out to touch him, and he whispered in a tired voice (once again, without the command of his brain)._

“ _Grand…pa…”_

_The hand that was supposed to be his was small, a boy’s hand. And the voice that came out of his mouth was a boy’s voice. Dr. Enoch Strife, his grandfather, clasped his hand apologetically and pulled him up. His body moved, obediently trying to sit up._

“ _I’m sorry… I know it’s late…” his grandfather said. “Do you…”_

_Cloud’s head lulled; he was so sleepy. His grandfather rubbed a very large hand over his tiny face, as if to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He felt that his body was willfully trying to gain its strength, trying gather its wits._

_But in his present mind, it wasn’t for him to do._

“ _Do you remember what we talked about this evening?” his grandfather asked._

_His head nodded._

“ _You remember what you said?” he asked._

_His head nodded again._

“ _Good. Cloud, I need you to write it all down for us. All of it. So the rest of us can see it for ourselves.”_

“ _Okay…” Cloud replied quietly. He yawned, opening his mouth wide._

_His grandfather stood up from the side of the bed and walked away, towards a desk on the other side of the room. A lamp was turned on over the desk, and there was large piece of paper with a box of crayons._

_Cloud’s body moved on its own again, swinging a pair of short legs over the side of the bed and touching a thick rug with his toes. He was wearing a pair of light green pajamas. He got up on his legs, and in his exhausted state, his legs were quivery and unreliable._

_With each step towards the tiny desk, Cloud slowly began to comprehend what he was seeing. This wasn’t some strange dream, for he had never had a “true” dream before. This was a memory._

_But, this memory, even though he couldn’t doubt that he recalled it now, was totally alien to him._

_His grandfather pushed out the chair for him, and Cloud sat down. He was pushed into the desk, and he immediately picked up a bright red crayon. Clutching the crayon tightly, Cloud’s hand studiously wrote down some words and numbers._

_Cloud’s mind read the contents on the paper, and they filled him with absolute, ghastly, overwhelming, disquieting horror. And he couldn’t stop the small hand that used to be his from jotting it all down:_

 

Barret Wallace… 11/8/74

Vincent Valentine… 1/28/75

Sephiroth Bentley… 3/15/75

Tifa Lockhart… 7/2/75

Yuffie Kisaragi… 10/21/75

Me... 1/22/76

 


	9. VIII: Bad premonition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> Nothing much, except I changed Cloud's monologue during his vision... revealing his slightly cynical worldview...

Vincent and Zack waited outside of the doctor’s office. Yuffie was behind the door with a nurse, examining her head. For a moment, Zack contemplated whether or not to try and call Cloud, but he opted to keep his cell phone in his jacket pocket. Vincent eyed him intensely.

 

“What exactly did **he** tell you when he spoke to you?” Vincent asked.

 

“Hum?” Zack replied.

 

“Did he say anything strange or unusual? Besides… the usual?”

 

Vincent believed that he would understand. After all, it was obvious that Zack would know Cloud better than anyone else.

 

Zack frowned slightly and leaned against the wall. “If he did… should I be telling **you** that?”

 

“I **am** his colleague,” he replied.

 

_After a fashion, I suppose…_

 

“ I’ll speak to your superiors then. No offense.”

 

Vincent decided not to pry any further.

 

A few minutes of silence later, he received a call from his cell. It was from Barret.

 

“Yeah, what is it?” Vincent asked, answering it.

 

“We have a problem,” Barret replied coldly.

 

Vincent walked away from Zack’s side and spoke in low voice, cupping the side of his mouth. “Problem?”

 

Zack watched observantly as Vincent stood several feet away. His back was turned. Judging by the fact that the conversation was being concealed from him, Zack rightly assumed that something serious had happened. He bit his lip, hoping that Cloud was all right.

 

“After he gets back,” he muttered with a scowl, “we’re going to have a nice, long chat…”

 

00000

 

When they had returned to headquarters in a huff, Tifa had been the first to step out of the screen. As Barret and Sephiroth followed _far_ behind, her face turned bright red, and she was gritting her teeth. With each step she took, it was almost as if her feet threatened the shake the ground. One arm was pumping, and the other was holding Cloud’s bag (it was stuffed with his clothes and the gun that were left behind).

 

Sephiroth was too disturbed (and still too weak) to hold the bag himself. He was barely handling the weight of the sheathed sword strapped to his waist.

 

“Tifa?” Barret said anxiously.

 

Barret had been too consumed in the situation to ask what it was or where he got it. He was grateful for that.

 

“Tifa?” Barret said anxiously.

 

Tifa was too busy in her turbulent inner world to hear him. Vincent's previous warnings kept repeating themselves in her mind. _“To put it bluntly… if he was merely ‘involved’, that would be the best case scenario.”_

 

“Stupid,” she whispered. “I’m so, so stupid!”

 

Giving up on her, Barret turned his attention to his long lost subordinate. He was decidedly not happy. “What were you doing out there… with him? Huh!?”

 

Unfortunately for Barret, Sephiroth was also deeply contemplating something… and chose to ignore him.

 

“Do you know how much ruckus you caused over here!?” Barret berated him. “We were trying to track you down all night! If you think that…”

 

“Ah, lay off me!” Sephiroth snapped, waving him off. “I was just following orders. Mr. Ambrose is the _only_ person I want to talk to right now! And I’m trying to think!”

 

Barret flinched in surprise. Did one of his subordinates just give him blatant sass?

 

Sephiroth stood still and rubbed his forehead, obviously puzzling very hard. Barret stopped, completely forgetting about Tifa, who left them far behind for her own purposes.

 

“Now, you listen here…” Barret growled.

 

Sephiroth suddenly smiled. He chuckled under his breath, his shoulders quivering. “It’s **all** a cover-up! An absolute farce!”

 

“I’m not finding anything funny about this!” Barret retorted. “And for we know, Cloud could be dead…”

 

“Well played, Mr. Tuesti,” Sephiroth interrupted quietly. “Well played. But I pretty much knew it the whole time. Anyone with a half-functioning brain cell could tell what you’re doing, but there aren’t many people like that, are there? In comes Cloud Strife, the untried recruit. _On the books_ , he’s a member of Titans 7… but meanwhile, under our very noses, he’s happily following your orders… and he knows more of what’s going on than any of us. And he’s allowed to know more than us… because he’s the precious grandson of your friend… Dr. Enoch Strife…”

 

Barret stared at him, dumbstruck. Sephiroth sighed deeply and stopped talking for a moment, doubting whether or not he should say what else was on his mind. He nodded confidently to himself; he was sure he was correct.

 

“And that’s not all…” he said, now speaking to Barret directly. “Even though, on the books, he’s on our team… he’s not like the rest of us. Cloud… he’s something totally different.”

 

“What are you sputtering on about…?” Barret replied.

 

“He knew … that thing… whatever it was, I’ve no idea. He knew exactly what it was, and he walked up to it like he owned it. And I have a hard time believing it was a bug.”

 

Fully satisfied, Sephiroth continued onward along the hall. Barret just stood where he was, watching him.

 

“Cloud hasn’t bitten the dust,” he went on. “He’s _too_ fond of himself to let **that** happen. But whatever he and Mr. Tuesti are up to, it must be one sensational operation! That’s all I can work out for now… but make no mistake… there’s a lot more going on than… and I’m still not going anywhere near his clothes…”

 

Sephiroth looked and realized Tifa was long gone.

 

“Where’d she go?” he asked Barret.

 

Barret grimaced, already knowing. “The Director’s office…”

 

00000

 

To Tifa’s confusion, Aerith wasn’t at her post. Nevertheless, she fearlessly walked up the door of Mr. Tuesti’s office. She balled up her fist and rapped her knuckles hard against the door.

 

“Yes?” Mr. Tuesti asked.

 

“It’s Miss Lockheart,” Tifa announced sharply.

 

“Of course… come in.”

 

The door slid open, and Tifa glared at him from the threshold of the door. Mr. Tuesti, who seemed unsurprised by her sudden visit, sat forward in his chair. He was typing something on his computer.

 

Tifa sucked in her lip and walked boldly into his office, lifting the bag off of her shoulder. She stepped right up to his desk, opened the bag, and dumped all of the contents onto the surface. Mr. Tuesti reacted with a blank calm, watching it all pile up before him. As soon as the bag was empty, she dropped it onto the desk as well and crossed her arms against her chest.

 

“What have you done to Cloud?” she asked coldly.

 

Mr. Tuesti saw the small velvet box, slightly covered by Cloud’s boxers. He grabbed it quickly and put it in his pocket.

 

“Thank you for bringing back his things,” he said nonchalantly. “Although, I don’t think even **he** would approve of having it strewn all over my desk.”

 

“What have you done to Cloud!?” she repeated loudly.

 

“Calm down, Miss Lockheart. Whatever I’ve done to him, it all happened by his free will…”

 

“That’s not…!”

 

Tifa’s voice became choked. She looked at Cloud’s clothes, wrinkled and sprawled all over the desk. She would clean and iron them later, after she gave the kittens their evening meal.

 

“I…” she murmured softly. “I saw… what happened to him in Rona… he… he… his body…”

 

Mr. Tuesti smiled, closing his eyes. “Miss Lockheart… what you watched disappear… that wasn’t Cloud anymore. It was nothing more than an empty vessel. A container.”

 

Tifa blanched. “What!?”

 

“Cloud simply went through a body transfer. The ‘container’ he was previously inside of… it was never meant to be permanent. After the transfer was complete, there was no further use for it. And it was disposed of.”

 

Tifa took a step back, horrified at his words. And to say it in such a businesslike, scientific tone…

 

“You talk about it… as if you were taking out the trash!” she balked. “How could you…?”

 

“The only thing I value above all else in this world,” Mr. Tuesti replied with brusque candidness. “… is the human spirit. Flesh and blood mean nothing to me. Besides, it’s hardly any different than what **you** went through when you arrived here.”

 

Tifa swallowed.

 

“Are you frightened, Miss Lockheart?” he asked. “I suppose that’s because you don’t understand… but that’s perfectly natural…”

 

He grinned dryly, speaking more to himself than to her.

 

“Cloud and I… we’re both… very frightening men.”

 

00000

 

In a small room, within the headquarters of the Foundation, Reno was working madly over a computer. His fingers worked rapidly over the keyboard, as if he were playing a complicated piece on an organ. The codes he typed, all complicated commands, flowed effortlessly. A wide smirk was stretched on his face. He never took his eyes off of the monitor. Not once.

 

After he entered the last commanded, Reno took a deep breath. With his smile widening, he reached out dramatically for the enter key.

 

“Ding!”

 

00000

 

The entire building of Wilhelmina headquarters suddenly went dark. A blackout. The lobby was filled with startled gasps.

 

Inside his office, Mr. Tuesti hummed in surprise at the sudden occurrence. Tifa looked about herself in shock; she had never seen a blackout happen at headquarters before.

 

“Is there a bug traveling through the circuits?” Tifa asked, almost forgetting the situation.

 

Mr. Tuesti didn’t reply. Within a couple of minutes, the electricity came back on without a fuss.

 

00000

 

Meanwhile, Reno nonchalantly got up from his seat and briefly went to get a leisurely cup of coffee. He grinned smugly.

 

Once LOLITA secured a grasp on its target, it was impossible to escape its clutches.

 

00000

 

_It wasn’t dark, but it wasn’t bright. And it wasn’t dim either._

 

_It felt, Cloud thought, that he was floating. He was tucked into himself, his body in an almost fetal position. His surroundings were warm and something uncomfortably sticky was wrapped around him… but it wasn’t unpleasant. He felt…as if something was protecting… as if a shell had been wrapped around him._

 

_There was something outside of the shell, something formless and vast. He wasn’t able to tell if what he was seeing was real… or just a figment of his imagination. It was pushing against his protection, and he could feel a strain, threatening to break it apart._

 

_Cloud didn’t know whether on not to dread it._

 

_He closed his eyes and breathed. He was very good at waiting._

 

_But when he opened his eyes, the strange world had suddenly given way. And Cloud wasn’t sure…if it was another possible illusion. The first thing he saw was an old, destroyed car. To his gruesome surprise, there was a body sitting in the driver’s seat; it was old and decayed._

 

_The car had long crashed into the side of a very tall building… only, the building was not standing tall. It—Cloud couldn’t believe it—the building had toppled over into the city! And in its wake, it had completely demolished another building on the other side of the street. He looked on in horrified amazement. And as he observed even more, the scene grew even worse…and more impossible._

 

_The streets were filled with empty cars and scarce evidence of previous human life. There was a smashed teddy bear in the middle of the intersection, sitting right in the middle of a crater. The sidewalk had a large crack, much like a gash. Many windows, thousands of them, were shattered. Another building, several yards away, had fallen over as well, but a more stable skyscraper was supporting its weight._

 

_The city was almost unrecognizable, but it was familiar somehow. At some point in time, Cloud had been to this city. But he couldn’t think of what it was._

 

_He looked up at the sky, above the buildings. He didn’t see a dome._

 

_**This had to have been caused by a virus,** _ _he pondered, trying to gather his thoughts._ _**This isn’t Sandeep. And it’s not Rona either. I haven’t been to any other wild cities before. So…** _

 

_Cloud stepped forward, deeper into the vision. It was the best way. The only way. The streets were also covered in the glass. He stepped on it at every step, but he didn’t feel it. He was inside the vision, but he was not of it._

 

_The extent of the damage was much more than Cloud had realized. It was the same everywhere; the entire city had been devastated and emptied. All that was left were lost memories and rotted corpses, littered around him like waste. Mr. Tuesti had shown him the destruction a virus could cause in a wild city…but this? This exceeded_ _**that** _ _by an overwhelming margin._

 

_Cloud swallowed and held himself. He was shivering._

 

_He had horrible premonitions before…but never at this level. Never…_

 

“ _ **That’s wrong…”**_ _a voice boomed._

 

_Cloud jumped, the voice resonating through his entire body. He looked around, turning to and fro. No one was there._

 

“ _ **You should know,”**_ _the voice spoke again._ _ **“You should know… you’ve seen this all before…”**_

 

“ _Who…?” he whispered back._

 

_Suddenly, someone bumped into him; he could be feel the person’s skin against his. Cloud looked on and saw a child running away from him, a boy in pajamas. He noticed that the boy’s hair was blonde… and unruly… like his. The boy was running away quickly, and he was carrying a plush toy in his hand. Cloud recognized the toy… a stuffed rabbit. It was an old bedfellow, a gift from his grandfather!_

 

_Without thinking, without willing himself, he ran after the boy. And the boy led the way._

 

00000

 

_After the chase had gone on for a while, Cloud noticed that he had ended up in a residential district, full of townhouses. He knew of them. He had lived there before. Yes! He knew exactly where he was. It had to be. It had to! But…_

 

_**No!** _ _he denied it._ _**It can’t be! It makes no sense! All of the domed cities look practically alike! And this can’t be a domed city. There’s no shield!** _

 

_The boy was far ahead of him, never once changing his pace. He wondered why he never caught up._

 

_And then, when he had reached the center of the district, Cloud found himself standing inside of a park. It was barely touched, save for broken streetlights and car that had crashed into a bathroom station. It was empty, just like the rest of the city, but it’s emptiness caused a darker, more unsettling feeling in his chest. The boy was nowhere to be seen._

 

_Cloud couldn’t deny it. He recognized this park. He recognized the trees growing around and among it. He saw a grove of trees and bushes, only a few yards away, and he knew what was behind them, what should’ve been behind them. He walked towards them and climbed over the bushes. He had to know what this place was. He had to know for sure!_

 

_Cloud reached the other side. He froze. He gazed. He felt sick to the stomach._

 

_Before him, in the middle of a clearing, there was large play area for children. Cloud trudged towards it, his body suddenly feeling very heavy._

 

_Of the few things that were starkly unique amongst the domes… all of the children’s play areas were different. Cloud never understood why._

 

_As he came closer and closer, he become more and more certain._

 

_This place, this little playground for children, the only untouched in the city, he used to go there as a child. Mrs. Fair, Zack’s mother, often had to come to this city to meet with Shinra Headquarters. When that happened, she brought both Zack and him, along with a nanny. While she attended her meetings and lunches, the nanny took them to this park, and Zack played with the other children, if there were any. Most of the time, especially when other children were there, Cloud sat on a bench and read books._

 

_While Mrs. Fair attended to business in the city of Pathea._

 

_Cloud laughed. It wasn’t a pleasant one. The sound that came out of his mouth was choked and unstable._

 

“ _Are you laughing?” a child’s voice asked._

 

_He turned towards the bench, that bench near the play area. The boy was sitting there, cuddling the rabbit in his arms. He stared in alarm. He and this child—they both had the same blue eyes, the same face._

 

_The boy, his childhood self, briefly averted his gaze, nuzzling his cheek against the fuzziness of the rabbit. Cloud only stared, without a word._

 

“ _Why are you crying?” his younger self asked._

 

_Cloud was completely taken aback. He touched his face, feeling his skin, and found the tears that he didn’t notice._

 

“ _I…” he murmured. “I don’t know…”_

 

“ _Are you sad?”_

 

“ _I don’t…I don’t know.”_

 

_Cloud fell to his knees. His body was trembling violently._

 

“ _Are you angry?”_

 

“ _I…I’m not sure.”_

 

_No, that wasn’t true. Cloud_ _**was** _ _angry. So angry that it made him cry. The entire vision played out through his mind, faster than he could think, faster than he could blink. He gritted his teeth._

 

“ _So, this is the end result, is it?” he hissed. “This is how it all ends. The final legacy of the Shinra Foundation. They wanted control, and they got their control… and this is what we’d all get.”_

 

_He scoffed in disgust, wiping the tears from his face. His childhood self did not move._

 

_"Do you why I laugh all the time?" he muttered. "Because the world is such a damned joke. Aren't we the most pathetic and idiotic creatures you've ever met? Everyone, so completely oblivious to everything going on around them. We've all_ … _we've become complacent with the very people that are trying to control us. They've never had our best interest at heart. They only care about themselves_ … _. the ideals they force on us. And they'll keep doing it, even if it means destroying everything! All the world wanted was safety and relief_ … _and they took advantage of us and turned us away from the truth!_

 

“ _But you knew that all along, didn’t you?” his childhood self replied._

 

_Cloud nodded, smiling unpleasantly. “Yes… of course, I did. I did. So did all of_ _**them** _ _. So did… so did Grandfather… so did Grandfather.”_

 

_00000_

 

_The vision shattered around him, and he was back inside his little shell. It continued to strain and crack, buffeted by the outside forces. His head ached terribly._

 

“ _How are you feeling?” a voice boomed._

 

_Cloud’s ears twitched. The creature’s voice almost seemed to echo, confusing his hearing._

 

“ _That depends on what you mean,” he replied._

 

“ _Emotionally,” the creature added._

 

_Cloud curled into himself a little more, as much as he could. “In that case, not very well at all.”_

 

“ _Are you feeling any regrets?” it asked._

 

“ _Of course not. Why should I?”_

 

“ _Even though it will be painful? Even when… you may have to fight for the rest of your life?”_

 

_Cloud felt the shell vibrating and convulsing around him. It was time._

 

“ _It’s alright. I_ _knew_ _what I was getting myself into.”_

 

_And the shell broke away, almost as if by explosion. His body was flung back, out of the fetal position, into the void._

00000

 

Cloud opened his eyes, as if for the first time. He didn’t feel disoriented or even dazed, but he knew quite well that he had been sleeping. His headache was gone.

 

He was lying inside of a capsule, and strange, gel-like substance surrounded the back of his body, from his ankles to the crown of his head. As he started to get up, trying to sit up, the capsule suddenly opened. He continued to rise, and the gel peeled off as he moved.

 

There was classical music playing in the background.

 

Cloud realized that he was naked. That wasn’t a surprise. Nevertheless, he felt something odd against the middle of his back. He reached behind, running his fingers against it, and realized that it was hair. He pulled at it, trying to figure out whether or not it was really attached to his head.

 

His whole body felt lighter, but he wasn’t as thin, even if it was of the exact same bone structure. He took a deep breath to test his lungs; it still gave him the same sensation.

 

“Not too different,” he commented blankly.

 

Cloud was inside what could have possibly been another type of room at some point in time. But now, it looked more like an unruly computer lab, with wires and cords attached to the capsule and a system of monitors on a table.

 

“Cloud?”

 

He heard Aerith’s voice speaking through an intercom.

 

“Miss Gainsborough?” he asked.

 

“Good, so you’re actually awake,” she replied. “The monitor said so. And your vital signs are excellent. Mr. Tuesti will be pleased.”

 

Cloud heard the sound of hydraulics. On the other end of the room, an opening had appeared. It looked rather dim on the inside.

 

“The cyberonic fluids might have left some residue,” she said. “So please, go ahead and take a shower. There are some clothes waiting for you. After you’re done… then, we can talk.”

 

The intercom turned off. Cloud sighed and climbed out of the capsule. The vision flashed in his mind, making him feel ill. He suppressed those troubled thoughts and stepped into a small bathroom. The door closed behind him.

 

Sure enough, there was a plain white t-shirt, boxers, and pair of jeans from his closet, all folded neatly on the toilet cover. A few towels were sitting on a rack. Cloud took another deep breath, gripping the edge of the counter, and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

 

All he saw was the exact same face. He pondered whether or not he was expecting anything different.

 

“I wonder what kind of chaos I caused back there,” he mused quietly.

 

Judging by the manner that he had “departed”, Cloud was certain that he had caused quite a stir in Titans 7. It was the only plausible and understandable reaction. And the way that Tifa came charging towards him… she briefly reminded him of a mama bear.

 

He allowed himself a small laugh, despite his current mood. Seeing her like that… caused a very strange sensation to well up inside of him. To be sure, he was definitely startled when she came after him; he was afraid that her interference would ruin the task he was trying to accomplish. Nevertheless, the obvious concern and impulsive protectiveness on her part… he wasn’t entirely sure what it made him feel.

 

Though maybe, just maybe… it made him feel… quite happy.

 

Cloud thumped his knuckles against the side of his head and walked towards the shower. _Time to get to get to business._

 

00000

 

It was nighttime… according to Aerith’s cell phone. She couldn’t tell underground.

 

She ended a long call with a worried, burned out sigh, like death warmed over.

 

“This is bad,” she muttered. “This is very bad.”

 

As she waited for Cloud to appear, Aerith glanced at the two wrapped sandwiches that she had laid out on the bar counter. She had hastily bought them from Wilhelmina’s café. Before the call had arrived, she had busied herself in trivial thought, hoping that Cloud, good cook that he was, wouldn’t tease.

 

She was sitting in the basement bar of the Titans 7's new base, a small boutique hotel in Uptown Sandeep that had been closed down earlier during the previous year. The white paint was eroded in a stylized way on the walls, revealing the red brick underneath. Through a long hall and up a flight of black steel stairs (or a small elevator if so inclined), there was the lobby and a lounging area with a library, which led up the rest of the hotel. There were no more than twenty-six guest rooms.

 

More personnel would be coming to join them later.

 

Aerith couldn't comprehend why anyone would try to run a hotel that was so small. But judging by the extended halls above her, and the stone bar top she leaned on, it had probably been a high-end establishment. _Such a pity,_ she thought. _I think it's actually rather cute._

 

To give their people credit, finding the place had been a Godsend. Among other the places they handpicked around the city. And with a few tweaks here and there, converting a few rooms, building up a few needed doors, the place had been turned into the perfect hideout.

 

In the past, Aerith hoped that it would be a _temporary_ hideout if something went wrong. But given the circumstances...

 

A few minutes later, at long last, Cloud quietly entered the bar with wrinkled eyebrows. He was still toweling his face dry.

 

"This place," he said, "What was it called?"

 

"The Seventh Heaven Inn," she replied.

 

He turned about, glancing around the bar. "It's nice. Why did it ever shut down?"

 

"Apparently, financial issues. It was foreclosed."

 

Cloud smiled ruefully. "What a shame."

 

Aerith sighed, not liking what she was about to say. She sucked in her breath and bit her lip.

 

“Cloud,” she began, “we have a problem.”

 

He raised his head, peaked at her through the towel, and chuckled. “There's always a problem, isn't there?” But his smile disappeared in a flash and he asked, “What is it?”

 

“About an hour ago,” she began, “security…our security realized that Wilhelmina was attacked by a hacker today.”

 

To her lack of surprise, Cloud reacted almost impassively. “What was touched?”

 

“Our security cameras.”

 

His eyes narrowed, and he flung the towel over his shoulder. He walked up to the bar counter and sat next to her on one of the stools.

 

“The Director is working to find out what the hacker was after…” she continued. “But we’ve determined that it definitely came from the Shinra Foundation…”

 

“I’ve been discovered,” he interrupted.

 

“What?”

 

“The Foundation knows. They know that I’m still alive.”

 

Aerith grunted and went pale in dismay. “What…why?”

 

“I felt,” he replied, “that something would go very wrong… because of that hacking session. That it would bring trouble…”

 

“Last night’s hacking session… are you saying that we were spotted? But… they’ve never noticed us before. And we’ve always kept up with their upgrades.”

 

Cloud stared down at the floor in thought. “I wonder if Mr. Valentine believes in clairvoyance _**now**_?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“It’s nothing… and the cameras in my apartment. Were they compromised too?”

 

“They run on a different system from the rest of the security cameras… so… whatever came after our cameras didn’t notice their existence.”

 

“And Mr. Tuesti’s penthouse?”

 

“All fine.”

 

Cloud hummed in relief. “There’s hope for us yet.”

 

Aerith nodded grimly. She faced her cell phone once more and pressed a number of speed dial. She was going to calling Mr. Tuesti. Cloud hadn’t cracked one smile since he entered to room. It was beginning to unnerve her.

 

“Cloud?”

 

“Something else is bothering me,” he declared.

 

Aerith blinked in surprise but said nothing.

 

“While I was sleeping in that capsule,” he revealed, “I started to remember things. I… when I was about seven years old, about six months before my grandfather died, I had several visions… more accurate than what I’m used to. My grasp on my memories is still very hazy, so I can only remember a few of them right now. There was one in particular that terrified me… and I’ve just had it a second time. It was of Pathea. The entire city was a graveyard…”

 

“A what!?” she gaped.

 

“What happened in Rona… couldn’t even compare to what I saw. It was in ruins; I almost didn’t recognize it. It was obviously caused by a virus attack of a very large scale… I’m certain of it. The dome was gone. And the rotting corpses. I thought I was going to be sick…”

 

“But Pathea is a domed city!”

 

“Then, you understand what the vision implies, don’t you?”

 

Aerith trembled, too afraid to answer.

 

“I cried for weeks when I saw it as a boy,” Cloud admitted. “But I wasn’t sad. I was angry. I was furious… but it didn’t understand why. Not until today.”

 

He ruffled his fingers through his hair. He was thankful to have enough to work his stress through.

 

“Do you know…” Aerith began quietly, “Do you know when this is supposed to happen?”

 

“I don’t,” he replied.

 

“Is it… inevitable?”

 

He shook his head vigorously, a determined frown on his face. “It’s not going to happen. I won’t let that happen. **We** won’t let it happen.”

 

Cloud finally acknowledged the sandwiches on the counter and took one. He carefully and unhurriedly unwrapped the plastic. Aerith watched him with amazement. It was the first time she had ever seen him so terribly serious.

 

“But there’s something else that I don’t like,” he said. “This vision… that I’ve had before. I had completely forgotten about it.”

 

“How on earth… could you possibly forget… something like that?” Aerith asked in disbelief.

 

“How, I wonder. There’s no way I would have forgotten. Not when I remember so many predictions… especially the ones that mattered. So why then… after all these years… why couldn’t I remember it? Why am I starting to remember all of this only _**now**_?”

 

Aerith swallowed and pursed her lips. Her face was downcast.

 

“…Miss Gainsborough?”

 

“I think… that’s for the Director to answer. Not me. Sorry.”

 

She continued making her call without incident, with dark bags under her eyes.

 


	10. IX: Nonchalantly, he comes back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some paragraph alteration and extension here and there. A juicy tidbit of Cloud's backstory during the Titans 7 meeting. The Turks meeting has been extended, adding more world history. And Cloud (who believes that brooding is tiresome) and Zack decide to drink bourbon and vodka with their chai.

Ch 9

 

Nonchalantly, He Comes Back

 

 

 

“This sucks,” Yuffie said aloud. She was still jittery from nearly being blown up and shot. Vincent seemed to be taking the matter in stride. He barely mentioned it anymore. Nevertheless, the rest of Titans 7 couldn’t agree more with her assessment. It was not a good start for an early morning.

 

There were several moments of utter silence, especially when a question came up that no one could answer. The group sat almost listlessly around the dining table in Barret’s apartment. Everyone was dressed haphazardly. The entire known history of Cloud’s life was spread out before them. The group made special care not to spill their espresso coffee on it.

 

“We might be facing some major changes,” Barret announced to the team. “Because of the hacker… now that the Foundation…”

 

There was no need to finish. Everyone understood.

 

“Who knew that Enoch Strife himself had a hand in all this?” Vincent declared. “But it should’ve been glaringly obvious from the start.”

 

“It always seemed plausible to me,” Sephiroth muttered under his breath.

 

Tifa sighed heavily. She hadn’t said a word throughout the whole “meeting”.

 

“This info… it doesn’t help much at all, does it?” Yuffie asked.

 

“This ‘Cameo Omega’ problem looks rather serious,” Vincent corrected. “And the good Director is keeping his mouth shut…”

 

“So, what are we supposed to do about it?” she answered irritably.

 

“There’s nothing we **can** do,” Barret interjected. “All we can do is wait and do our jobs.”

 

Yuffie flinched, clearly disturbed. “But…”

 

“Don’t get it, already?” Sephiroth chided her. “We might be ‘Titans 7’, but we’re only a piece of the puzzle. Leaders… don’t tell the company secrets to peons.”

 

There was another pause. It was relatively shorter than the previous ones.

 

“Where’s that Mr. Fair fella?” Barret asked curiously.

 

“In Cloud’s apartment,” Tifa replied briefly. “I let him in.”

 

“I wanna talk to him later,” he decided.

 

Vincent shook his head dismissively. “He’s not in the talkative mood. He just wants to see Cloud.”

 

“Yeah… as soon as we find out what actually happened to him…!”

 

Tifa’s features tightened in response. “Don’t we already know that?”

 

“But where is he!?”

 

Another pause ensued.

 

As the sun slowly rose, shining through the window, Marlene ventured into the dining room in her pajamas. She rubbed her eyes groggily and clung to Barret, shamelessly claiming his attention.

 

“What are you doing up so early?” Barret asked, trying to smile for her.

 

“Had another… weird dream…” Marlene mumbled in complaint.

 

He rubbed her head and hugged her in comfort.

 

“Want some coffee?” he asked jokingly.

 

Marlene’s half-closed eyes suddenly popped open, and she grimaced. “Eww! No!”

 

She wriggled out of his embrace and marched towards the kitchen. Barret’s façade dropped as soon as she disappeared.

 

“To be a kid again,” Yuffie said longingly.

 

“You’re still a kid,” Vincent deadpanned.

 

Yuffie stuck out her tongue.

 

Tifa cleared her throat and got up from the table. “I’ll be right back.”

 

She walked away, and some of the members noticed the gloom hanging off of her shoulders.

 

After she disappeared around the corner of the hall, Barret turned to Vincent with a weary face. “I’d give her up now, if I were you. While you still have yer dignity…”

 

“I beg your pardon?” Vincent answered in annoyance.

 

“He’s right,” Sephiroth agreed. “Doesn’t make sense… but a woman’s heart is always an unpredictable sea.”

 

Yuffie cocked her head in bewilderment. “Huh?”

 

“Yup… it’s inevitable,” Sephiroth mused.

 

“I feel for you, Vince,” Barret said with utmost sympathy.

 

“I think… you’re both over thinking this,” Vincent said coldly (with some doubt).

 

“What are you guys talking about!?” Yuffie cried, insisting on being acknowledged.

 

The men turned theirs eyes upon her. She stiffened in her chair but stared back in defiance.

 

“Don’t mind us,” Barret told her. “This is just man talk.”

 

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. “Sexists.”

 

00000

 

Meanwhile, in the home of Cloud Strife, Zack was in the middle of exhausted sleep on the couch. It had been a rough journey, and a (to say the least) tiring yesterday. While he slept, the kittens roamed about the apartment. One of them climbed onto the arm of the couch and purred against his head.

 

One could still see that he was troubled; his expression fluctuated between hardness and serenity. Lying in such an uncomfortable place wasn’t helping matters.

 

Adding to his frustrated rest, a hand brushed the hair off of his face, even though it was meant for affection. The torment grew worse when the hand started poking him in various spots on his face. He growled in response and swatted the hand away.

 

In retaliation, the hand reached out and clamped tightly over his nose. Zack found himself unable to breathe and woke up, gasping for air.

 

“Good morning!” Cloud sang, releasing his nose.

 

Zack looked at his face, at first too flustered to respond. He rubbed his nose with a scowl. Cloud smiled innocently.

 

Quickly springing into action, Zack reached out menacingly. Cloud tried to escape but was pulled into a crushing half nelson. He squealed in almost masochistic delight.

 

“You little jerk!” Zack snarled. “You give me a thousand heart-attacks… and you come waltzing in here like it’s nothing!”

 

“This **is** my place, you know,” Cloud pointed out in a wheezing voice.

 

“So what!?”

 

“I have donuts in the kitchen.”

 

“THAT’S NOT GOING TO SAVE YOU!”

 

Cloud sniggered, causing Zack to tighten his grip. “Stop laughing!”

 

He didn’t. He simply clung to the offensive arm and tittered like a maniac.

 

Slowly but steadily, Zack’s hold weakened, and in the end, he was hugging Cloud from behind. His body was trembling.

 

“Someday, I’m going to kill you…” he said in defeat. “Do you have any idea… what I’m feeling right now?”

 

“If you’re going to be angry with someone,” Cloud countered, “get angry with the Shinra Foundation. And it can’t be helped. I have to clean up the mess my grandfather was _**forced**_ to make.”

 

“But… you don’t… have to…”

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

“Why!?”

 

Cloud sighed, patting his arm gently. “Because I’m the only one who can. And since he’s my family, it’s… my responsibility, I suppose.”

 

The kitten, no longer appeased, leapt off of the couch and went elsewhere. Its absence wasn’t missed.

 

“I thought _I_ was family…”

 

“Of course, you are. Why do you think I wanted you to come?”

 

Zack whimpered. Cloud hummed the last bar of “Pop Goes the Weasel”… something that he did _not_ appreciate.

 

“You have always been family,” Cloud continued. “And you’re probably one of the reasons why I never wanted a girlfriend in the first place.”

 

“Where is _this_ coming from?” Zack asked.

 

“I’ve always been a clairvoyant,” Cloud went on, “so, I’ve always lived isolated from everyone. But you’re the first person who ever it accepted without changing… you just accepted me. So then… over the years, I thought to myself…’what’s the point of getting a girlfriend, who I can’t completely open up to, when I could just have _you_?’ It was pointless.”

 

“Then your powers were at fault. Not _me_. And what about Parker?”

 

“She was taken.”

 

“And besides, your grandfather knew you were psychic.”

 

Cloud pouted and answered curtly, “He’s dead!”

 

“You little piece of work.”

 

Zack let him go and slumped against the couch. Cloud leaned against the edge of the couch and examined his old friend. He had visibly lost weight.

 

 _I’ll be having one very large cooking session tonight,_ Cloud thought firmly.

 

“Feeling better?” he asked.

 

“No,” Zack muttered. “People are out to kill us…”

 

He shrugged apologetically. “Well, sorry… there’s nothing I can do about that…”

 

Zack leaned his head back and covered his eyes. Cloud rose and sat next to him on the couch. They were very conscious of the sudden shift on the cushions.

 

“You’ve gained some weight,” Zack stated, wanting to change the subject. “I’ve often worried that you were too thin, and it never made sense since you’re such a good cook.”

 

Cloud stared blankly. “Hmm? That’s because I did a body swap yesterday.”

 

Zack stared at him in horrified confusion. “A what?”

 

Cloud averted his eyes and tugged on his ear. “A body swap. BODY SWAP. That’s the reason I didn’t die. After all this time, I was wearing a fake cameo. It worked as some form of transfer unit. When my other body bit the dust, I—or rather—my ghost was transferred into another body. Everyone else in Titans 7 went through the same thing. ”

 

Zack gave him a stupefied nod. “They used... revival technology on you.”

 

“Didn't know that Wilhemina was hiding some goodies?” Cloud replied with a smirk. “Did you?”

 

“My God... this sounds like something out of a conspiracy thriller,” he replied.

 

“Don’t kid yourself. We’re live in a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic world… with elements of horror and a closet dystopia. Haven’t you ever read the classics?”

 

“Get real, you pinhead…”

 

Zack went limp where he sat, drained by the revelation. Cloud smiled in a strangely maternal way and rested his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

 

“Shall I make get you some chai?” he offered. “I’ve already brewed it.”

 

“We’re gonna need something stronger than _that_ ,” Timothy argued.

 

“With a splash of bourbon _and_ vodka? With some honey and cream?”

 

“…Now you're talking.”

 

Cloud nodded faithfully and lifted himself from the couch.

 

“Cloud?” Zack stopped him.

 

“What is it?” he asked.

 

“Were you serious when you said you had donuts?”

 

00000

 

At about the same time, somewhere inside the Shinra Foundation's main headquarters, the Turks were also holding a meeting.

 

Reno Pryce, the unkempt, hacker extraordinaire himself, was almost too proud of himself to pay attention to his teammates. He sat right next his close colleague and confidant, Rude Eginhard, who was his stoic, neat opposite with bald head. Cissnei swallowed nervously as she sat on the other side, her eyes glancing from the table before them… to the look on their superior’s face. Elena Caldwell, an ash-blonde who appeared to be bubbly, had all eyes on their superior; whether or not she was truly paying attention was left to speculation.

 

Their astute leader, Tseng Rand, was a serious, clean-cut man in both image and action. Nothing about him was out of place and he behaved as if he had had a wonderful night’s rest, even when he was forced to wake earlier than normal. He casually flipped through the retrieved photographs, contained inside a similar device that Cissnei and Reno presented to their Director. His change in mien was subtle and controlled; those who knew him—namely, his subordinates—were the only ones who could catch his surprised reactions.

 

“Uncanny, isn't it?” Reno sang with amusement. “It was like seeing a ghost. Little Miss LOLITA spotted that pretty face of his from a mile away.” He snapped his fingers for emphasis. “Just like that. Didn't even finish my coffee break before results started flooding in.”

 

“And his biometrics?” Tseng asked. “You had that checked out?”

 

“Yeah, he could just be a fake!” Elena replied. “Had his face cut up to look like him.”

 

But Reno shook his head, grinning. “Nope. You can only fake it so far, and he ain't a fake. It was a perfect match. Our man's the genuine article.”

 

Cissnei folded her hands on her lap and cleared her throat anxiously. “Mr. Rand?” she began hesitantly. “If that's the case, if this really is Cloud Strife... then that means that Wilhelmina has access to revival technology. They used it to save him…”

 

"Yes," Tseng replied affirmatively. He didn't take his eyes off the images. "And while they kept us distracted with his body, the autopsy, and his funeral, he went off and disappeared into the wilds. I have to say it though, that was rather clever of them."

 

“And the good Director knew they had the technology,” Reno added.

 

Tseng briefly looked up. “Pardon me?”

 

Reno slumped lazily in his chair, hands behind his head. “He knew. That's why he asked us go find our terrorist.”

 

“But how did they obtain it?” Cissnei questioned. “And when did they start growing Mr. Strife a new body? That takes time. Preparation. One month to develop it. And maybe another month to age it up. I thought only the Foundation had that kind of technology. Do we have a leak?"”

 

“I'm afraid it's more complicated than that,” Tseng replied. “This has to be the work of Dr. Emyrs Partanen. I'm sure of it.”

 

The table became deathly silent. Reno grinned, barely able to contain the thrill he felt when he heard his superior’s words. For the rest of his colleagues, however, the feelings weren't mutual.

 

The use of revival technology was supposed to limited to extreme situations. It was often used for the protection of key witnesses to high profile crimes or for politicians in times of crisis. And more often than not, being transferred to the new body carried a price that most were not happy to pay.

 

Tseng waved his hand over the screen a few times, and Rude was the first to speak.

 

“So this is because of a defector,” he said. “He joined Wilhelmina.”

 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Tseng calmly replied.

 

“Wait, who is Emrys Partanen?” Elena asked curiously. She was a newcomer to the team.

 

Reno cocked his head towards her. “He's the guy who co-designed revival technology. He defected about fifteen years back. Probably took the blueprints with him.”

 

“Then the Foundation should've chased harder after him back then,” Cissnei hissed, folding her hands under her chin. “Who knows what else he took with him.”

 

“But how would they know that they needed to save Strife ahead of time?” Elena asked. “Why would they have the means?”

 

“Maybe because the other designer was Dr. Enoch Strife.” Reno shrugged with a matter-of-fact look. “If I were him, and I had my hands on that kind of technology, I'd use it for my family too!”

 

“For his grandson,” Rude replied incredulously, “but not for himself?”

 

“Wait...” Elena replied, stopping them, “you do realize this suggests that Enoch Strife was in league with Wilhelmina?” She frowned, growing agitated. “Why would the godfather of the domes get in bed with an organization from the wilds?”

 

Cissnei waved her off. “Who says he was in league with them?” Her tone took on a cynical edge. “Dr. Partanen could've been in it for himself.”

 

“If he was only in it for himself, then why would he feel obligated to protect Dr. Strife's grandchild?”

 

Tseng calmly raised his voice above theirs, breaking the exchange. “Whether or not he was in league with them is irrelevant. Enoch Strife is dead.”

 

There was another moment of silence. but this time, it was Elena broke it. She abruptly changed the topic of the conversation. “What about... Mr. Strife's known associates?” She stammered as she spoke, but continued on with purpose. “And the people around him in those images? What about them?”

 

Tseng briefly looked up from the images and narrowed his eyes at Iggy.

 

“You asked personnel to search for their faces in the domes’ records, right?”

 

“I did it!” Reno declared indignantly. “Come on! What am I? A flake!? I’ll pick the stuff up after you let us loose.”

 

“Do it now, Pryce,” Tseng demanded. “ _Now_. Tempus Fugit.”

 

Reno raised his hands defensively but got up from his seat. The automatic door slid open as he went and clicked shut behind him as he left.

 

“If they did this for Cloud Strife,” Tseng said, “then I find it highly unlikely that he is the only one they 'rescued'.” With a light exhale, he closed his eyes and snapped the device shut. He sat it casually on the table and rubbed his chin.

 

“We haven’t received our orders yet,” Tseng told them. “However, it’s very likely… in the worst case scenario…that we’re going to be sent on an extraction mission.”

 

“Extraction!?” Elena squeaked.

 

“To take back what Mr. Strife has stolen, of course.”

 

The entire table cringed in various ways of dismay. As true citizens of the domes, the very idea of stepping into the wilds was an unpleasant thought.

 

00000

 

After a few doses of spiked tea, Cloud had dragged his hapless companion into the office of Director Tuesti. Nevertheless, Zack was eager to see the man and have a few _words_. Unfortunately for him, as soon as Mr. Tuesti had politely welcomed them into the office, it was only Mr. Tuesti who had spoken the most.

 

For about half and hour, Zack had been treated to a lengthy explanation of the situation at hand, along with the current “setbacks” Wilhelmina was facing. At the end of it, Zack was left more exhausted and even more worried than before. But at the very least, less clueless.

 

“So, you see, Mr. Fair,” Mr. Tuesti finished, “those are the circumstances we are under. I understand that you’re very concerned for Cloud’s well-being, but it has to be done. We have no choice, and time is running out.”

 

Zack was too stunned to blink. “Wow.”

 

“Makes you glad to be in the wilds, doesn’t it?” he replied with raw humor.

 

Zack only grunted in reply. Satisfied, Mr. Tuesti turned to Cloud and became more serious.

 

“You realize,” he said, “just to be sure… you cannot come back to this building. It would probably be wise to have Titans 7 pack their bags too. From now on, you are only allowed access to the ground floor.”

 

“I understand,” Cloud replied, holding up a box of donuts. “I’ll go back as soon as I deliver these to the gang.”

 

“Oh!” Mr. Tuesti replied. “Are those from the local bakery?”

 

“Yes, Aerith got them.”

 

“May I…?”

 

Cloud opened the box, and Mr. Tuesti reached inside.

 

His companion flinched in outrage. “What a second! Hold the phone! You’re jumping and running again?”

 

“Yes, I am… and you’re coming with me, right?”

 

Zack stopped, his anger vanishing.

 

“If you don’t mind, that is,” Mr. Tuesti prodded, pulling out a glazed blueberry.

 

“And it’s not far,” Cloud added. “We won’t even be leaving Sandeep.”

 

Zack stared hard at him and puffed through his nose. “I don’t like this at all, but as long as you’re in my line of sight… I’m fine with it.”

 

“You can’t follow me on the job, you know…” Cloud reasoned. “It’s dangerous…”

 

Zack’s face contorted in hideous ways. “Just as long as you’re coming back to the same spot…”

 

“Then, it’s decided,” Mr. Tuesti declared, biting in. “That’ll be all then.”

 

Cloud bowed his head respectfully and stood up from the chair. Zack sternly followed suit and was right behind him as they headed out of the office.

 

Suddenly, Cloud stopped at the door.

 

“Zack,” he said. “Could you wait outside for a moment?”

 

Mr. Tuesti looked up in surprise. Zack nodded reluctantly and walked out into the lounge. As soon as the door closed, Cloud turned back and sat down again.

 

“Is something wrong?” Mr. Tuesti asked.

 

Cloud’s manner became decidedly frosty. He sighed, reigning in his thoughts, and the Director waited rather anxiously.

 

“I thought that this could wait, but I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “Aerith told you about my vision last night, right?”

 

“Yes, she did,” Mr. Tuesti replied. “You said… that you knew you had had it before.”

 

“That’s not the only thing. I’m starting to remember many things.”

 

Mr. Tuesti solemnly lowered his eyes. “I see…”

 

“I always thought it was a little strange…” Cloud continued, “how you were so prepared to save my life. How you were able to save them all—Mr. Valentine, Mr. Wallace, Mr. Bentley, Miss Kisaragi… Miss Lockheart. Yes, I know how the Titans 7 program works. I know all of that... but it never explained how you knew _**when**_ to them rescue them… at the exact time they needed to be rescued. And why them, I thought? Why?”

 

The older man did not reply.

 

“It was strange, but I remember now. I finally remember… that I was the one who predicted their deaths in the first place. It makes perfect sense! Only… I don’t recall ever having a premonition… that was ever **that** accurate. And that’s not all. My vision… that prediction… that wasn’t the only thing I told my grandfather. I told him many things. So, why then? Why is it that I’ve never been able to remember anything? And why am I only able to recall it **now**?”

 

Mr. Tuesti sat back in his chair, the years coming down upon him. He had already dropped the donut on his desk. Cloud thought, for a moment, that he appeared quite old.

 

“Did you and my grandfather…” he hesitated. “Did you tamper with my memories?”

 

Mr. Tuesti breathed deeply, his whole body moving in response.

 

“It was…” he finally answered. “It was Enoch’s wish. He… there was no way we could burden you with the information you knew. You were only a child. He thought it was best… and so did the rest of us. We were all quite fond of you. And what you knew was very dangerous.”

 

Cloud softened a little, his eyes filled with thought.

 

“So, we performed a series of hypnotic sessions on your mind,” Mr. Tuesti revealed. “We designed it so that… so that you wouldn’t recall anything… but we suspected that it wouldn’t hold up during the second body swap. Now, you remember everything… just as I thought you would.”

 

 

Cloud laid the donut box on the desk. He rested his elbows on the surface and ran his fingers through his hair.

 

“Are you angry?” Mr. Tuesti asked.

 

“What’s to be angry about?” Cloud replied. “You did what you had to do. You all did.”

 

“Well… I need to tell you this… the procedure…it had a side effect.”

 

Cloud gaped in shock. “Side effect…?”

 

“You asked why you were able to have such an accurate prediction? That’s because it used to be normal for you…until after we finished the hypnosis. We never could understand why, but after we had successfully locked your memories, your power diminished drastically.”

 

Cloud buried his face in his hands. “Lovely.”

 

“It’s very likely…” Mr. Tuesti pondered, “that the full brunt of your ability will return to you. Perhaps, it already has. It’s all ill-timed, so you’ll need to brace yourself. Unless, you’d rather go through with another set of hypnotic tests…”

 

“Stay away from my mind,” Cloud replied sharply.

 

Mr. Tuesti smirked, pleased with his answer.

 

“Good… I didn’t think you’d react badly, but I was worried…”

 

He stopped short. Cloud still had a cold, inquiring look.

 

“Is something **else** the matter?” Mr. Tuesti asked.

 

“Why did you give Titans 7 the permission to look into my records?” he asked.

 

Mr. Tuesti froze. Cloud wrinkled his nose impatiently.

 

“I wanted them to get over their suspicions of you. That was my only intention.”

 

Cloud smiled lightly. “You… didn’t have to do that.”

 

“They would’ve done it themselves… eventually. Barret… he’s a good leader, but he gets reckless at times. At the very least… the blame won’t rest on them.”

 

00000

 

Back in Barret’s apartment, the spirits of Titans 7 had—in some ways—lifted up.

 

They no longer spoke of being ignorant pawns. Instead, they were more preoccupied with the surprisingly colorful events of Cloud’s past. Tifa managed to smile. Sephiroth found it easy to smile. Yuffie giggled often. Barret remained indifferent. Vincent sometimes frowned.

 

“In the fifth grade,” Yuffie snickered, “he clobbered a bully in self-defense…with a rock…”

 

“Talk about the turning of the worm,” Vincent commented.

 

“More like the beginning of a pattern,” Sephiroth said, holding up a few pages. “I have a police report right here.”

 

“Huh? He got arrested or something?” Yuffie asked.

 

“No. It says here that he saved a female coworker from being raped at a party. Apparently took a taser to the creep's genitals.” He stared as his leader and continued, “I wouldn't get on his bad side, if I were you.”

 

“You’re really pushing your luck,” Barret snarled.

 

The doorbell rang. Barret looked at Marlene, who was sitting on a nearby couch. She nodded to him and got up to answer the door.

 

“Remember to get the footstool,” Barret reminded her. “So, you can look through the peephole.”

 

“Ah, leave me alone,” Sephiroth countered. “I already told you. I was just following the Director’s orders. You still can’t fault me for that.”

 

“That’s **not** the issue,” he rejoined. “Lately, the problem has been your _mouth_ …”

 

Vincent deliberately interrupted. “His grandmother’s name was Hollis Strife, née Calder. She was a talented painter and an antique shop owner… who was reportedly rumored—among friends—to be able to predict the future…”

 

The table became very, very quiet. Yuffie burst into a tear-jerking cackle.

 

“Hmm,” Tifa mused quietly. “So, that’s where it comes from. It’s… in Cloud’s blood.”

 

“So, he’s got you believing _that_ too,” Barret snarled in contempt.

 

“Well, you’d have to be stupid or stubborn as a mule to deny it now,” Sephiroth whispered under his breath.

 

“What was that…?” Barret glared darkly.

 

“Oh, nothing.”

 

Barret glanced to his right and realized that Marlene had already come back. She was eating a jelly filled donut.

 

“Where did you get that?” he asked her.

 

Marlene glanced upward, over his head.

 

“What do you know?” a voice pondered over him. “It’s my alma mater!”

 

Barret jerked his head upward. Cloud glanced at the papers in Barret’s hand, sucking on tea from a thermos. Vincent, Tifa, and Barret stood up abruptly. The whole table stared in amazement.

 

“C-Cloud!” Tifa cried.

 

“Welcome back,” Sephiroth greeted casually.

 

“Thank you,” Cloud replied.

 

He opened the box and respectfully presented the contents to Barret first.

 

“Donut, Mr. Wallace?” he offered.

 

Barret glared into Cloud’s eyes, into the donut box, and then at Cloud again. He cautiously reached into the box and took out a vanilla sprinkle.

 

“Where… did _you_ turn up from…?” Barret demanded.

 

“Ah, do I _have_ to answer that?” he crooned.

 

“Cloud!?”

 

Cloud turned his head with a smile plastered on his face. Tifa had her hands crossed, her hair in disarray and her face pale with shock.

 

“Is something wrong, Miss Lockheart?” he asked facetiously.

 

Tifa coughed, taken aback by his playful nonchalance. Cloud sat the box in front of Yuffie, dooming her to wonder whether it was appropriate to take one out.

 

“Mr. Tuesti…” she said. “He said you went through a body transfer…why…?”

 

“Yes, I did. But now, I’m right here. I’m fine.”

 

“But…”

 

“I’m fine. Isn’t that all that matters?”

 

Titans 7 was too perplexed and far too confused to answer. Except for Sephiroth. He only looked on as if it were just a show.

 

“Don’t worry,” Cloud chirped. “I didn’t come to interrupt. I just came by to say that I’m all right. It was just a little experiment that Mr. Tuesti and I performed. There’s no need to be up in arms about it, and I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. Okay?”

 

“But… he…” Tifa stammered. “You…”

 

Cloud tilted his head and gave her a cheerful grin. He sauntered towards her with a slightly apologetic look in his eyes. Tifa looked away, visibly pained.

 

“Have you been worried about me all this time?” Cloud asked.

 

Tifa swallowed, not wanting to answer. Cloud chuckled under his breath and brushed her bangs back into neatness. She flinched under the sudden touch.

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, drawing close.

 

Before Tifa could react, Cloud placed a gentle peck on her lips. While Vincent went rigid behind him. A visible tenseness reverberated throughout the table. Marlene cooed.

 

Cloud craned his neck and looked back, still touching Tifa's face, and wiggled his eyebrows at Vincent's reaction. Judging by his furrowed brow and the way his lips thinned out into a straight line, it was easy to tell that he was not pleased. Tifa didn’t—or rather—couldn’t move.

 

“I’ll answer those three questions for you,” Cloud said to him, “after you’re done cleaning up Valonia.”

 

He let Tifa go, strolled past Vincent’s still form, and walked out of the apartment with a bounce in his step. The front door clicked with a deafening sound.

 

“I think I’m starting to like him!” Yuffie admitted.

 

Vincent stared worriedly at Tifa, who touched her lips in a frazzled daze. Sephiroth glared at him ironically. Barret gazed upon him with many condolences.

 

“Don’t you say a word!” he growled at them.

 

Barret got up and went into the kitchen. Sephiroth got up and pretended to use the bathroom.

 

00000

 

As Zack watched Cloud stroll out of the apartment and shut the door, he silently wondered what his friend was snickering so devilishly about. He decided to ask later.

 

Cloud stopped and leaned against the door, allowing his mirth to subside. And then slowly, the glow left his visage, his smile disappeared, and he suddenly looked very tired. Zack, who knew him very well, did not like the sudden shift in his mood.

 

“You don't have to push yourself,” he said with a scolding tone. “You're exhausted. And it's alright to brood once in a while.”

 

Cloud shook his head. “No. Brooding's more tiresome than being cheerful.” He eked out a smile, and added, “It's also a lot less fun.”

 

 


	11. X: Valonia is lovely this time of year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update: 6/19/17
> 
> Just smoothing out a few grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Nothing to see here.

Back in the hideout, Aerith walked down the hall and entered a small room. The room was unfurnished and plain, with only a tiled floor and whitewashed walls. The only thing of value was a very large screen imbedded in the back wall.

 

She waited patiently.

 

After a few minutes, the screen glowed brightly, and a suitcase slipped out. It bounced against the floor, and Aerith quickly pulled it out of the way. A few seconds later, Zack was suddenly pushed out of the screen. He yelped as he stumbled to the ground, dropping used shopping bags all over the floor. Aerith winced in shock.

 

Zack shivered from the ordeal he had just faced, and his face was as white as a sheet. Cloud casually stepped through the screen, whistling a tune, as he carried a bag over his shoulder and an icebox against his side. He was holding the kittens in their basket, and they seemed content enough.

 

He looked at Zack, trembling on the tile floor, and snickered lightly. Zack turned back to him with a disturbed mien.

 

“How can you go through with that!?” he blanched.

 

“Don’t worry,” Cloud assured him. “You’ll get used to it.”

 

“I am **not** doing that again!”

 

Aerith covered her mouth and giggled in amusement.

 

“You will if you want to leave this place,” Cloud informed him. “Unless you’d rather make your way down the wine cellar at the bar. Then it takes you through a dark tunnel and out into the alley. Otherwise, this is the only way to get in or out…”

 

“I love the dark!” Zack replied defiantly.

 

Aerith reached out to him to offer a helping hand. Zack looked up at her, and she gave him a bright smile. He stared back at her almost blankly, and his eyes widened. She smiled wider and chuckled. He slowly took her hand and thanked her as he hoisted himself up with her support.

 

“Hello, Mr. Fair,” she greeted. “Welcome to the wild cities.”

 

“Um… yes,” he replied clumsily. “Yes! And who…?”

 

“Gainsborough,” she replied. “Aerith Gainsborough. I’m Director Tuesti’s secretary.”  
  


“Um… hello then… Miss Gainsborough…”

 

Cloud noticed that Zack was still holding her hand. He raised an eyebrow and walked out of the room, into the hallway.

 

“Wait a moment,” Aerith called after him.

 

He looked back curiously. “What?”

 

“Did the Director give you ‘the package’?” she asked.

 

Cloud patted one of the bags hanging from his shoulder and continued on his way.

 

00000

 

Back in Wilhelmina headquarters, much to their dismay, Director Tuesti had ordered Titans 7 to pack a suitcase. Much to their lack of surprise, they weren’t told exactly why. But Vincent and Sephiroth already had their theories.

 

Tifa had gone about the task without complaint. She yanked out a large roller duffle from her cramped closet and quickly packed as many of her casual clothes as she possibly could (nothing fancy, for she was going to be on the job). At one point, when the bad was half-full, she took one of her whisky bottles, wrapped it up in plastic and cushioned against her luggage before stacking her shirts on top.

 

She wasn’t going anywhere without some liquid fire.

 

Tifa rolled the suitcase into her living room. As she turned back to her room, wanting to find something for her toiletries, someone knocked loudly on her front door and rang the bell. Tifa sighed and went to answer it. She peeked through the peephole, and to her amazement, Yuffie was standing on the other side of the door.

 

Reluctantly, she opened the door and gave the younger girl an incredulous look.

 

“Um, hi?” Tifa said.

 

Yuffie was dressed in an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of black and white striped leggings. She was grinning madly. Tifa saw that she was carrying a small, white, cake box and a modest container of vanilla bean ice cream.

 

“Hi!” she sang. “Can I come in?”

 

Before Tifa even had the chance to answer, Yuffie slipped right between her and the threshold. Tifa watched speechlessly as she sauntered into the living room and headed straight towards the kitchen. Yuffie never visited her apartment. Never. The only time she ever came was to begrudgingly ask how to use the machines in the group’s laundry room. Needless to say, that was an uncomfortable experience.

 

“Um, Yuffie…?” Tifa murmured.

 

“I got the last two mini apple pies in the café,” Yuffie declared proudly. “They taste good with cheese too… but I didn’t know if you’d go for that.”

 

Tifa walked into the kitchen. Yuffie had opened one of her cabinets and taken out two plates. She was currently rummaging through the drawers.

 

“You got an ice cream scoop around here?” she asked.

 

“Yuffie, what are you even doing here?” Tifa asked sternly. “Shouldn’t you be packing?”

 

“Haven’t finished yet. I had to do some laundry first. Where’s your scoop?”

 

Tifa slumped her shoulders in resignation. “In the drawer closest to the refrigerator.”

 

Yuffie smiled in gratitude and went to fetch it. Tifa continued to watch as she busily prepared their treats on the counter. She opened the box, placed the mini pies on one of the plates, and lifted them into the microwave. She hummed as she happily pressed the buttons.

 

“Um, so why did you come here?” Tifa asked again.

 

Yuffie shrugged lightly. “I was bored.”

 

Tifa was floored. “You… were bored.”

 

“Yup. Waiting for laundry is a drag!”

 

“The…laundry.”

 

An awkward silence ensued—awkward on Tifa’s part. Yuffie found the garbage can and crushed the box before tossing it in. She twirled around and gave Tifa her undivided attention.

 

“Soooo…” she crooned.

 

“So… what?” Tifa replied.

 

Yuffie smirked and narrowed her eyes. “I never realized you had a thing for Cloud…”

 

Tifa went stiff all over her body, and her cheeks turned to a bright shade of red. The incident that she had nearly blocked from her thoughts came swirling back into her mind.

 

“Yeah, thought so…” Yuffie declared with a nod.

 

“B-b-b-b-b-b-but…!” Tifa spluttered. “Wait just a minute! No! No!”

 

“Whaaaaat? You let him kiss you…”

 

Tifa stubbornly crossed her arms into an X and shook her head violently. “You got it all wrong! He just caught me off guard! That’s all!”

 

“…in front of Vince…”

 

She stopped dead and ended up sheepishly staring down at her feet. Yuffie cocked her head to the side.

 

“So, you’re angry with him?”

 

The microwave went dark and beeped. The pies were now hot. It was ignored.

 

“Well…” Tifa pondered quietly. “Not exactly…”

 

Yuffie beamed with delight. Tifa gritted her teeth, and her face burned brighter.

 

“What’s it to you!?” she snapped. “Why are you even asking!?”

 

By then, Yuffie had taken the pies out of the microwave. She took a fork and carefully worked the pies out of their pans and onto the plates. All the while, she began to hum the tune of a romantic ballad.

 

“My, my,” she mused (mostly to herself). “To think that I believed you wanted Vince. I guess it’s true that you can’t really go gaga for someone… unless they aren’t your type at all…”

 

“No one’s going ‘gaga’ over anyone!” Tifa shrilled.

 

Yuffie mumbled something as she began to scoop the ice cream over the pies. Tifa wasn’t entirely sure what she said but it sounded something along the lines of:

 

“If you say so.”

 

She fought the urge to smack herself. _I see. So_ _ **that’s**_ _what’s going on. She’s willing to be buddy-buddy with me now that I’m not competition to her…_

 

Yuffie graciously presented her with an apple pie a la mode. Tifa sighed inwardly and accepted it.

 

_Well, whatever._

 

She had gotten used to strange afternoons.

 

00000

 

Night fell in the city of Pathea.

 

Scarlet Brede quietly entered the home of Director Shinra and hung her coat in a foyer’s guest closet. She continued to wear her office attire, but her hair was let down in a luxurious tussle.

 

When she found Rufus, he was inside the dining room, pouring a pink wine into a black glass. He smiled upon her arrival and gave her the glass. She observed the wine, watching it move as her hand shifted, and didn’t drink right away.

 

“You’re early,” Rufus stated curiously.

 

“Despite the circumstances,” Scarlet replied, “I have nothing to do at the moment. Winston is handling the details.”

 

He frowned at her and poured a second glass. “Stay on your guard. This is important. We must have that device at all costs.”

 

She sniffed at the aroma coming from the wine. “Then why will you not send us now? Isn’t the situation… delicate? Why bother alerting the grunts?”

 

Rufus chuckled lightly. Scarlet sat down at the table and sipped on her wine; it was her favorite.

 

“I have a tip from a reliable source,” he revealed.

 

“Hmmm?” she responded.

 

“There’s a high chance… that Mr. Strife will show up in Valonia tomorrow. That’s what _the source_ told me…”

 

Scarlet raised her eyebrows and hummed in intrigue. “I see… so, no time… to waste?”

 

He held his glass casually, almost against his body and sauntered towards the dining room’s large window.

 

“If the grunts can trap the rat on their own,” Rufus pondered, “then your merry team can just detain and interrogate him. That would be the best-case scenario. Otherwise—if they fail—you and your team will have your work cut out for you…”

 

“Interrogate?” Scarlet questioned. “Not kill?”

 

“No mistakes this time.”

 

She nodded in assent, lightly licking the rim of her glass. “And who exactly is this… _source_?”

 

“A mole—of course,” he answered, as he continued to look out the window.

 

She heard a slightly winded suck as he drank. It sounded as if he was drawing out blood.

 

“Why are we going through so much for a prototype?” she asked. “Dr. Strife didn’t even live to complete the thing. And it’s no better than that failure the scientists managed to spawn…”

 

“No better, yes,” he agreed with a smirk. “But the information it holds is vital. If we can get the device, we can make the final preparations at last.”

 

Scarlet leaned against the chair and glared over the rim at his back.

 

“Yes,” he muttered. “Just a little longer…”

 

00000

 

And the night simply wore on, even in Sandeep.

 

Inside of the bar room, Cloud had fallen into a drowsy sleep on a couch. He had been that way since the afternoon—when they first settled down in the hideout. At one point he had rolled onto his side, and his hand dangled over the edge of the cushion. The peaceful expression on his face made him look more like a girl than usual.

 

Zack sat on a bar stool, his back against the bar counter, and stared at his companion with some concern. Aerith quietly rummaged through the refrigerator behind the counter for a snack.

 

“Has he been working hard?” Zack asked aloud.

 

“It’s not that,” Aerith answered. “He just needs time to get used to his new body. He should be fine after a week or two.”

 

Zack groaned in resignation.

 

“Not that that will stop him,” she mused. “He’ll probably head to Valonia in the morning.”

 

“Yeah, that’s Cloud for you,” he declared.

 

Zack continued to watch him sleep. Cloud gritted his teeth, and his face tightened into a concentrated scowled as his eyes began to twitch—the obvious sign of a premonition taking place in his mind.

 

After a while, he noticed that there was a ring around Cloud’s finger. It looked identical to the ring he was wearing… before he was shot in Quiterie.

 

“That ring,” Zack breathed.

 

Aerith stopped and looked over her shoulder. “The Director handed it over to him before you left.”

 

“That thing…” he said, as if he hadn’t heard a word. “Is that—is it really—?”

 

“Yes…” she replied. “It is. That _monstrous_ device. I can’t understand—for the life of me—how he’s able to sleep while wearing it around his finger.”

 

Zack shook his head. “Actually, he probably gets off on it a little.”

 

Aerith frowned and shut the refrigerator. “Hmmm. I suppose we all have our peccadilloes…”

 

Zack sighed and rested his elbows on the counter. Nevertheless, despite the obvious danger, this was of the first moments of peace he had had in almost two months.

 

“You won’t leave me behind, will you?” he mumbled to Cloud’s sleeping form.

 

“What?” Aerith asked.

 

“It—it’s nothing.”

 

Aerith shrugged and went back to her task. She was making a sandwich. Zack shifted on the barstool and turned around to face her. She had her hair done up in a long braid, and she was wearing a plain, short sleeved blouse with A-line skirt. The blouse hugged her upper body quite nicely.

 

 _I guess this won’t be so bad,_ Zack hoped.

 

Cloud suddenly sprang up from his resting position, gasping desperately. Zack nearly fell out of his stool, and Aerith jumped in a fright.

 

“C-Cloud!?” she squeaked.

 

Cloud sat up, supporting himself with one arm. He covered his forehead in the palm of his hand, and he panted as if he had been running for a long time. His eyes were wide with shock, but there was a large grin spread across his lips, as if he had just experienced a thrill.

 

“Cloud?” Zack asked anxiously.

 

He turned to them, his expression softening somewhat, and he sniggered.

 

“What is it!?” Aerith demanded.

 

Cloud took a deep breath.

 

“I know,” he declared. “I know where the next virus is supposed to appear!”

 

Zack’s jaw dropped. Aerith crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

 

“No rest for the wicked,” she said.

 

00000

 

About twenty minutes later, Cloud had risen up from the couch, and made himself welcome behind the counter. Zack and Aerith watched in heated silence as his heated the stove and proceeded to conjure up one of his strange dishes. As a large 4-quart pan grew hot, he chopped up a tomato, some mushrooms, and two bell peppers. There was a pile of frozen, chopped onions sitting in a bowl, a mountain of unidentified, sliced meat sitting on a plate, a plastic container of garlic salt, and a bottle of olive oil waiting at the ready. Pasta was boiling.

 

“You sure cleaned out your kitchen!” Zack said in a daze.

 

“I refuse to let my food spoil for the sake of the Shinra Foundation,” Cloud rejoined in disgust.

 

Aerith cleared her throat.

 

“Um, Cloud…” she began. “Before I call the Director, may I get the facts straight?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“You said… that a virus is going to attack Wilhelmina headquarters… in **two** weeks?”

 

Cloud dumped the frozen onions into the pan, and they sizzled violently in the heat. “Twelve and a half days, actually.”

 

Aerith threw up her hands.

 

“Well, that makes it even better!” she cried sarcastically.

 

She walked out of the bar room and proceeded to call Mr. Tuesti on speed dial. Meanwhile, Zack became stiff against the counter; he hunched his shoulders, and he narrowed his eyes in thought.

 

“This is too weird,” he said.

 

Cloud stirred the onions around with a wooden spoon, breaking them up and letting the ice melt and dissolve. He turned towards his friend in great interest.

 

“Why?” Zack began, “Why would a virus attack your headquarters at a time like this? After all of this…?”

 

“I guess that’s just another puzzle we have to solve,” Cloud replied with a shrug. “That is—if it’s really a puzzle at all.”

 

He beat the spoon against the side of the pan, knocking some of the stray onions back inside. Zack relaxed somewhat, but his mind continued to churn with doubts.

 

“Want an avocado margarita?” Cloud offered.

 

“I like those…” Zack replied, “…but I think I’ll take a rain check.”

 

00000

 

Mr. Tuesti had answered Aerith’s call right away. As he sat in the darkness of his living room, he listened carefully and unflinchingly to everything she had to say. The sounds of the city mingled with the background.

 

“I see,” he replied. “I understand. Thank you for informing me.”

 

He turned off his cell phone and sat it on the coffee table. He looked out onto the balcony of his home, into the night, towards the various skyscrapers that had accompanied him for over a decade.

 

“I’m going to miss this old view.”

 

00000

 

The morning came almost too quickly.

 

By now, the little town of Valonia had received fair warning of the upcoming “visitors” and had proceeded to make their own preparations. All businesses were closed—from the lowliest hot dog stand to the largest crystalline building—save for a few restaurants that allowed sanctuary in their cellars. A large portion of the population was holing up with their families in their candlelit basements. For those who couldn’t find anywhere else to go, the people had set up camp in the surrounding forest area and open fields, for bugs were not known to venture out into such a place.

 

But just in case—including those who didn’t brave the outside elements—many had already prepared their own personal arsenal for anything that dared to come after them. And the only people crazy enough to be in the streets were armed news reporters and the local police. After all, the townspeople of Valonia were known to be of an easygoing yet hardy mettle.

 

As Cloud sat on a stone bench, leisurely finishing his breakfast, he silently pondered whether or not the Titans 7 was needed in a town like this.

 

He balled up a small paper bag in his hand and stuffed it into his pants pocket. His pistol and holster were already attached to his waist. A large, rectangular box—the type of box used for encasing gifts—was sitting beside him on the bench, along with a black motorcycle helmet.

 

He took a deep breath and leaned back, using his arms to support him, and closed his eyes. He was still feeling a little tired, but Aerith had kindly given him some sort of medication to cope.

 

“ _ **How are you feeling?”**_

 

Cloud heard the creature’s voice in his head and smiled.

 

“ _ **Good,”**_ he mentally replied _ **, “considering the circumstances.”**_

 

“ _ **I would advice you not to take any more pills,”**_ it told him. _**“They’re not good for your health.”**_

 

“ _ **It’s only for today.”**_

 

Cloud opened his eyes and looked at the district that surrounded. He was surrounded by several, modest apartment complexes, some of them attached to a smorgasbord of shops and small eateries. Empty businesses in the daytime were a little eerie to him—especially when it was a Friday.

 

“ _ **You know,”**_ he realized. _**“I’ve never given you a name.”**_

 

“ _ **That is unnecessary,”**_ the creature replied.

 

“ _ **How about ‘Lynx’? You like Lynx?”**_

 

“ _ **Why Lynx?”**_

 

“ _ **Why not? It’s an important animal.”**_

 

There was the short pause. Cloud glanced at the box again and smiled.

 

 _I wonder if Miss Lockheart will like it,_ he mused.

 

“ _ **Very well,”**_ Lynx replied. _**“In the long run, a name might simplify matters. But only on one condition.”**_

 

“ _ **That is…?”**_ Cloud asked.

 

“ _ **I find it prudent that I should accompany you in the physical world from now on.”**_

 

Cloud coughed and almost fell backwards from bench.

 

“ _ **What?”**_ Lynx asked. _ **“Is there something wrong?”**_

 

“ _ **W-well,”**_ Cloud answered. _**“Your… appearance really causes a stir…”**_

 

“ _ **That’s not a problem,”**_ it replied. _**“Observe your lap, if you please.”**_

 

Cloud looked down at his lap. And he blinked. And blinked again. Laying on top his leg, there was a simple, white, digital wristwatch with a bracelet strap.

 

 _W-where!? What!?_ he thought in confusion.

 

He slowly reached down and picked it up between his fingers.

 

“ _ **Would you mind putting me around your wrist?”**_ Lynx asked politely.

 

“Eeep!” Cloud cried, and the “watch” slipped from his grasp. He fumbled with his hands but managed to catch it. He cradled it in his palms and stared down at it, completely dumbfounded.

 

“Y-you’re a watch,” he declared weakly.

 

“ _ **Of course, I am,”**_ Lynx replied. _**“Now that we have gone through the proper procedure, I’m capable of this.”**_

 

“W-what else can you do?”

 

“ _ **Well, in this current form, I can shoot electro darts. And among other things, I can turn into a small handgun or a heavy-duty firearm (no need for bullets or reloading), a bazooka, a coffee mug, or a necklace. Whatever is appropriate for the situation—I can do it.”**_

 

Cloud caught the gleam of the watch’s face in his eyes. He slipped his hand through the strap, and the strap suddenly shrank, clinging snugly around his wrist. He winced but didn’t make a scene.

 

“ _ **Just one question?”**_ he asked mentally.

 

“ _ **Yes?”**_ it answered.

 

“ _ **You were joking when you mentioned the bazooka, right?”**_

 

00000

 

On top of one of the apartment buildings, which had supposedly been evacuated, a man lit a cigarette and watched an unsuspecting Cloud who was sitting below. Occasionally, he had peered through a pair of binoculars. Feeling a cold wind, he held the cigarette in his mouth and zipped up his brown leather jacket. His golden brunette hair and the noxious smoke mingled in the breeze. His cell phone began to buzz.

 

He ignored it for several seconds; he already knew who the caller was. And the caller—he was quite certain—would be very displeased with him. He took a long drag, letting the nicotine relax his senses, and begrudgingly picked up.

 

“Yes?” he droned.

 

“So, you went anyway…” came a chilly reply.

 

The man shrugged nonchalantly. “What were you expecting?”

 

The caller grunted in exasperation, and he braced himself for what came next.

 

“We do not—under any circumstances—involve ourselves with Wilhelmina!” the caller barked. “We are not their allies. You understand that!?”

 

“What makes you think that this has anything to do with Wilhelmina?” the man asked.

 

“What!?”

 

The man took another puff and playfully blew out the smoke. “The kid intrigues me. If you actually watched, you’d think so too.”

 

“You’re only fixated on the boy,” the caller argued derisively, “Because he’s a friend of… _**him**_.”

 

“So what?” he asked bluntly. “So what...if that was true? Seph makes some pretty interesting friends…”

 

“Nar—!”

 

The man ended the call abruptly, cutting the other person off. He continued to smoke his cigarette, but his mood had all but soured.

 

“You don’t understand anything,” he muttered in pity.

 

He continued to watch as Cloud stood up from the bench and stretched out his arms. He allowed himself a tiny smile.

 

00000

 

As the morning grew a little later, Titans 7 arrived through the screens. Before anything else, the team headed towards a rental shop of vehicles on the edge of the town. All of its windows were boarded up. Five identical motorcycles had been left outside of the shop, ready for their convenience. Yuffie happily claimed one and sat down on its seat.

 

Barret handled a cartridge of electro bullets. When they had dropped their belongings at the hideout, a member of personnel had handed over a large stack of them, claiming that the new bullets were more effective than the previous ones issued out.

 

“How much bite you suppose these've got?” he asked Vincent.

 

Vincent shrugged. “Only one way to find out.

 

The town gave them the chills. They had expected the town to be evacuated or locked down in some sort of fashion, but what they saw was rather jarring. Valonia appeared to be like a ghost town, a far cry from the bustling place it usually was.

 

“Valonia’s pretty nice this time of day,” Yuffie whispered.

 

Vincent elbowed her in the arm. Barret ignored the extraneous comments.

 

“Alright then,” he announced. “Trackers?”

 

The group held up their devices like children in front of a teacher. Barret nodded in approval.

 

“We don’t know where the bugs will appear… or how many will show up _where_. So, as always, we’re splitting up. If you find any near your area, and there are too many for you to handle… you know the drill.”

 

“Riiiiiight,” they chimed in unison.

 

“Good. You already know your stations. Let’s move out!”

 

As the Titans 7 wordlessly mounted their bikes, Barret noticed the strange, curved sword Sephiroth had strapped to his belt. He remembered it from after the Rona hunt.

 

“What is that?” he asked (in a slightly annoyed tone).

 

Sephiroth stared at him for a moment, glanced at his weapon, and grinned. “Oh, it’s just a new friend I made a couple of days ago.”

 

Barret decided that he didn’t want to know. The team started their engines and went their separate ways.

 

00000

 

Tifa dutifully cruised along the vacant streets of Downtown Valonia. Her long, raven hair (put up in a braid) blew behind her, swaying like a flashy banner. At one point, she passed by a news crew, who managed to capture her on camera when she drove past. She was thankful that her helmet sufficiently covered her head.

 

She had found the lifelessness of the town to be unsettling… at first. But now, as she rode the street, Tifa felt a moment of peace, even though she knew that a fight would burst out before her at any moment.

 

It was no matter. It wasn’t the first time she had taken part in a hunt so large.

 

As Tifa kept driving, past a few apartment complexes, keeping her sights ever forward… she spotted Cloud, who was still sitting at the bench. He looked up and noticed her coming his way. Shocked, she brought her bike to a screeching halt, just a few yards away from him. He didn’t flinch.

 

Tifa turned off the engine and practically tore off her helmet. Cloud raised his hand and waved.

 

“Hello,” he replied. “Fancy meeting you here.”

 

Tifa took off her communication ear radio and stuffed it into her pocket. Hopefully, none of the team would notice. “You were waiting for me,” she countered.

 

Cloud only smiled. He stood up, taking the box up in his arms, and walked towards her.

 

“Are you…’observing’ again?” she asked with a scowl.

 

“Oh no!” Cloud replied. “Mr. Tuesti just wanted me to carry out a delivery.”

 

He held out the box to her, urging her to take it.

 

“What’s that?” she inquired.

 

“It’s a gift from Mr. Tuesti,” he answered. “He wants you to wear it on your mission.”

 

Tifa’s manner softened a little, but she roughly took it out of his hands without a word. Cloud stared blankly as she started to open it.

 

“I did pick out the colors, though,” he admitted. “I hope brown and black were practical choices.”

 

“Hmmm!” she uttered.

 

Cloud grinned toothily. “You’re mad about the kiss, aren’t you?”

 

“Yuffie kept ragging me all night! And Vincent hasn’t been able to talk to me since! What were you thinking!? Or better yet, what were you on!?”

 

“I was just saying ‘thank you’.”

 

“You don’t thank people like that! And what on earth did you have to be so thankful for?”

 

Cloud averted his eyes, sheepishly looking down at the ground.

 

“You tried to protect me,” he said quietly.

 

Tifa’s expression changed from annoyance and anger to absolute confusion. _Protect you?_

 

Cloud cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll be going now.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Just make sure to put them on and do your job as you usually would. You’ll feel sluggish when it’s all over, but I’m sure the team will take care of you.”

 

Cloud turned to leave, but before she realized it, her hand shot out and grasped his arm.

 

“That’s quite a grip you have there,” he commented.

 

“W-where are you going!?” she demanded.

 

“Back to my hiding hole. Mr. Tuesti and Miss Gainsborough want me to avoid doing anything strenuous for a couple of days. If I don’t hurry, I might not be able to avoid that today. And I think it’d be best if you didn’t hang around me…”

 

“You’re in trouble, aren’t you?”

 

Tifa glared a piercing gaze into his eyes. Cloud, to her dismay, seemed largely unaffected.

 

“I just need to get to the nearest screen,” he told her.

 

She huffed, completely dissatisfied, and released him. She opened the box and pealed back the tissue paper that covered the contents.

 

“Let me have a look at this first,” she replied. “And then, I’ll drive you to the nearest screen myself.”

 

“That's unnecessary,” Cloud replied. “I'd rather walk.”

 

“Oh cram it,” she snapped. “You know you're not safe. And Mr. Ambrose shouldn't have sent you! I'm giving you a ride.” _And if you didn't want a ride, then why do you have a helmet with you?_

 

“Why the concern?” he asked. “Weren’t you upset with me over a little kiss a moment ago?”

 

“That’s besides the—!”

 

Tifa stopped and stared into the box. Inside, there were a peculiar set of gloves and pair of ankle-high boots. The boots were plain and appeared ordinary. The gloves were fingerless and made of brown, smooth leather and had long, black sleeves. She took out one of the gloves and examined it. The material was soft to the touch.

 

“This is… mine?” she questioned.

 

“What?” Cloud asked curiously. “You don’t like them?”

 

Tifa looked at him and shook her head… but not at his question. She set the box onto her motorcycle seat and slipped out of her jacket, revealing her purple tank top.

 

“It’s not that at all,” she said, tying the jacket around her waist. She took out the boots and quickly took off her sneakers. “You’re in trouble with the Shinra Foundation—isn’t that right?”

 

“Unfortunately,” he answered with a grin.

 

She scoffed in outrage and slipped her feet into the boots. She pulled the shoestrings tight—almost too tight—and yanked at her socks.

 

“You know what?” Tifa said curtly, shoving her shoes into the box. “That’s what I don’t like about you! You don’t care about yourself. Not even your own safety!”

 

Cloud frowned indignantly. “There’s a difference between not caring and not making a fuss over things—”

 

“Oh, a fuss!” she mocked, picking up one of her gloves. She slipped her arm into the first one and worked her fingers through the holes.

 

“—and I’ll have you know that the Shinra Foundation’s been breathing down my neck ever since I was a child. Didn’t always see it, but I knew it. It’s not that I don’t **care** ; I’m just used to it. So what if it’s gotten worse? Back in the domes, I was actually starting to get a little bored. My only regret is that Tim had to get involved…”

 

Tifa grew belligerently silent and put on the second glove. Cloud cheerfully didn’t give up.

 

“Besides,” he continued in a happy tone, “the reason I’m in the wilds is more important and much bigger than me. Why would I waste my time worrying about myself when lives our at stake?”

 

She paused sharply. The glove dangled in her hand, and she swallowed.

 

“Miss Blanche—”

 

Tifa thrust her arm into the glove and adjusted it. Clenching her fist, she sat down on the motorcycle’s seat, and her head hung low. She pressed her fingers hard against her the skin of her thighs.

 

“I don’t like you,” she hissed. “I don’t like you at all. Idiot…”

 

His hand suddenly came against her cheek and clamped on it like a sticker, not enough to hurt but plenty enough to startle. She glared at him for the odd slight, her eyes demanding an explanation.

 

“Who says I was asking to be liked?” Cloud asked. He stuck out his tongue.

 

Tifa opened her mouth to protest, but his eyes suddenly turned away from her. He looked towards the streets behind them.

 

“Start up your engine,” he commanded. “Now.”

 

His hands slipped away from her. She turned her head instinctively, and to her confusion, she saw that two people were coming their way. Cloud hurriedly dropped her sneakers into the box, and left it behind on the bench.

 

He grasped her arm, and repeated, “Start the engine now, please.”

 

Tifa shrugged him off. She swung her leg over the motorcycle, turned the key in the ignition, and revved up the engine.

 

 _They don’t look like reporters,_ Tifa reasoned _, and they’re definitely not the police. Are they civilians? Shouldn’t they all have gone into hiding by now?_

 

Setting aside matters of public safety, it didn’t matter much to her. And the Titans 7 was not allowed to converse with civilians while on the job.

 

Cloud popped on his helmet, climbed onto the motorcycle, and grabbed a hold to her waist. Tifa tensed and clutched the handlebars. She stepped on the gas, and they were off.

 

“What were they thinking?” Tifa shouted over the engine. “Why the heck were they _outside_ of all times!?”

 

Cloud didn’t reply. She felt him trembling against her back. He made a low, strange noise, and his grip tightened around her.

 

“Cloud!?”

 

Cloud threw his head back and let a highly amused laugh. Tifa, left mystified and shocked, was left continuing to drive.

 

“It seems that the Shinra Foundation has decided to send a little present my way!” he declared.

 

Tifa nearly forgot to breath. _The Foundation_ was all she needed to here. She pushed harder on the gas, and the motorcycle shot through the streets like a bullet. They closed in on an intersection.

 

“There’s no point in speeding up!” Cloud shouted. “It’s too late!”

 

“What do you mean ‘no point’!?” Tifa rejoined. “If we don’t hurry up to the screen, they’ll—”

 

A van suddenly drove right in front of them, coming straight from an intersecting street. Tifa gasped and slammed hard on the breaks. Cloud nearly fell off but clung fast to her. The van’s side door slid open, and a man jumped out, whipping out a gun. Tifa made a move to press on the gas again, but he quickly trained the gun on her.

 

“Don’t move,” he snarled. “Wilhelmina dog.”

 


	12. XI: A Terrorist of Yours Is a Friend of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey ho! Hey ho! I finally updated this thing!
> 
> For those who might've read this before, I've actually added more content (or revised a scene or two) to some other chapters in the fic:
> 
> The prologue  
> Ch 1, 2, 4, 8, & 11
> 
> Also, this is un-betaed. Let me know if there are any glaring errors...
> 
> Happy reading!

Barret Wallace had no idea what was going on. He had been patrolling the area on his rented motorbike, and there was no sign of any bug outbreak. Not yet. And yet out of nowhere, a gray station wagon appeared on the street and pulled up alongside him. The front passenger rolled down her window and called him by name.

“Mister Wallace?” she called out. She winked and signaled for him to pull over.

“Rui?” He recognized her face. She was a key member in the Wilhelmina's weapons development program. He stopped the bike smoothly, and the car made a gentle brake turn in front of him. What was she doing in Valonia at a time like this?

Shalua Rui popped her door open and swung out her shapely legs before hopping onto the street. She adjusted the thin framed glasses on her face and sighed tiredly. Contrasting the vehicle she road in, she wore a plain brown suit and a pair of black low heels. It struck him rather odd; he was used to seeing her in a pristine lab coat.

Nevertheless, Barret grinned. It was always pleasant to see Miss Rui. “Good morning, Rui.”

“And isn't it a lovely morning, Mr. Wallace?” she greeted, bobbing her head. Her brunette locks slid against her cheeks. “I have a delivery here to make.”

She grinned wide, and he admired the curve of her dimples.

“Delivery?” he repeated.

She produced a key, unlocked the trunk and popped it open. Inside, there was a small metal trunk with a panel on its top. There was a large square one sitting in the corner, but she didn't direct him towards it. “Put you hand here, please.”

Barret obeyed and pressed his hand against the panel. Small circles of light blinked around his fingertips, and the trunk beeped. The lock released the top lifted itself automatically, showing him the contents. Inside, there was a large gauntlet, with a dark gray hand and a soft leathery arm that reached to the elbow.

He took a step back, opening his mouth in awe. “Woah.”

“Try it on for size,” she insisted. She clasped her hands together, and her blue eyes twinkled. “Though I am certain I used the correct measurements.”

He picked it up and turned it around to examine the details. “This your handiwork? ”

She folder her arms. “I had a hand in the design and circuitry.”

He shrugged off the left sleeve of his jacket and slid his arm inside, working his fingers into its hand. Testing it out, he clenched and unclenched his fists and then wiggled his fingers with the material. It hindered the flexibility of his fingers, as most gloves do, but he could make a perfect fist. That was probably the point.

He nodded to her, confirming that it fit, and she smiled wider.

“One strike from this gauntlet will deliver an electrical surge into a bug's body,” she revealed. “It might take two or three hits to kill it outright, but one blow is enough to disrupt its inner functions. Stick to your gun for actual extermination.”

Makes sense to me,” he replied. "But... I think I'll like giving them a fistful."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Mister Wallace," she said. “But be careful: it’ll give you an energy boost, but as soon as the outbreak ends, you’ll experience dizziness and weakness. You might even collapse.”

He frowned and she continued, “But that’ll only happen the first couple of teams. Your body needs to get used to it.” He nodded, understanding her.

“Also, keep in mind that we designed it for your dominant arm. “Your left arm. However, we can craft one for your right, if you feel that it is necessary. We've created something similar for Miss Lockheart, but her equipment is more extensive. I hope you will not mind.”

Barret chuckled and leaned against the vehicle. “Ah no, whatever the little lady needs. But why are giving this to me now? Why not before we shipped out?”

Miss Rui raised an eyebrow. “You don't even live in headquarters anymore. I don't even know where to find you.”

He coughed, remembering. “Oh yeah.”

“And we had some last minute tests to run.” She strained, reaching up to shut the trunk. Barret graciously seized the edge and did it for her. “Thank you," she said, shaking his hand. "Let us now if you experience any problems.”

“Sure thing, Rui.”

Suddenly, he heard a low buzzing sound coming from her pocket. She whipped out her cell phone and touched the screen. She scanned the contents. A text, herealized. Her expression went stiff and her eyes widened in shock. She sent a text of her own and tucked it back into her pocket.

“Well, I won't hold you up any longer,” she said, fixing another smile on her face. “Good hunting, Mister Wallace.”

Barret nodded with a grunt and refrained from asking questions. Miss Rui bowed her head again and circled back towards the front passenger seat. She climbed inside, her short stature giving her some trouble, and yanked the door shut.

The station wagon drove away, and he let out a low whistle in its wake.

“Guess I'll see you again some time,” he mumbled.

 

00000

 

“So the Foundation's in play.” The driver spoke with no emotion, not even giving Shalua Rui a glance as he took them down the street. She nodded quietly and stared almost aimlessly at the empty city. They passed by an armored news van that was going in the opposite direction. She spotted one of her favorite cafes along the way and smirked.

“Yes,” Shalua replied. Then she chuckled with a predatory grin and said, “They've gone and taken the bait.”

 

 

00000

 

At that moment, Cloud asked a question that no one would ever guess he would ask himself:

_Why do I always find danger to be amusing? Is this really courage?_

Sometimes, he wondered if something was missing in his brain. Certainly, he was afraid of being taken away... or shot. He wasn't keen on the idea of Tifa being be shot either. He was getting rather fond of her, and she was a much needed ally. He stared at the muzzle pointed at him, and then at Tifa. She crossed her arms, staring the man down with poison in her eyes.

Yes, he couldn't let himself be captured. Absolutely, he didn't want to die (and it this point he could cheat it with some inconvenience). Definitely, he took no joy in dragging Tifa into this; she was already involved enough as it was. But then... why were his lips ever curling into a smile?

“ **This is to be expected,”** Lynx observed. **“You have been found.”**

“ **You're telling me,”** he replied. He sighed outwardly.

Another man stepped out the car to assist his comrade.

“A team of Shinra operatives,” he observed. “I feel like a damned celebrity. Please give Rufus my love, won't you?”

The operative chuckled. “A comedian.” He shook the gun and commanded them, “Get off the bike. And off with the helmets.”

They reluctantly obeyed and stood in front the bike. Tifa didn't let go of her helmet.

“Drop your guns,” he further instructed. “Raise your hands.”

Tifa grit her teeth and yanked it out of her holster. She tossed it to the ground with trembling hands.

“ **What do you suppose we do now?”** Cloud asked Lynx. He tugged his pistol out of his holster and dropped it.

“ **Situation assessed,”** it spoke mechanically. **“Arranging escape plan. Electro darts activated. Aim for target, and I will fire the darts.”**

“ **What are you doing?”**

“ **A distraction is needed. Please take advantage of it, Mr. Strife.”**

He smiled darkly at their assailant.“Would you mind putting your gun down? My colleague here doesn't mind, but it's making me _very_ nervous.”

Tifa scoffed. “ _Cloud_...”

“No more smart talk,” the operative replied with a frown. “Takes three steps forward, Mr. Strife.”

Cloud sighed and obeyed. The man lowered his gun and started patting him down.

“What do plan on doing with Miss Lockheart?” he asked, refusing to look.

“Oh, I'm sure you could use the company,” the other man replied, grinning.

Cloud fought the urge to spit. **“Please tell me you're hurrying up on this,”** he hoped. 

“ **Access has been granted to enemy vehicle's control system. Plan commencing in five... four... three... two... one...”**

The van's wheels started up, and it lurched forward with a screech. The driver yelled and cursed from inside. Both operatives turned their heads in shock. Acting fast, Cloud shot out his arm, aiming his watch towards one of their assailants. As the van crashed drove straight into a building, a dart shot out, and the man cried out as the electricity surged through his body. Tifa brandished her helmet and swung it into the other man's head with all her might. Both were down in seconds.

Seizing their pistols back, Cloud tugged on his helmet, while Tifa hopped onto the bike and kickstarted the engine again.

“Get on!” she cried.

He mounted behind her, and they drove off.

“What the hell was that!?” she shouted over the engine. She didn't her head—even for a second—as she navigated the bike through the streets.

“What the hell was _what_!?” he replied in suit.

“What did you do to him!? And their van—”

“It was an electro dart. Just a little toy I got recently!”

Tifa didn't question him any further. He assumed she was saving that for later.

“ **The distress signal has already been sent to GUPTA Police Headquarters,” declared Lynx. “The anti-Shinra squads are moving out to deal with the matter.”**

“ **Yes, that would be nice,”** replied Cloud.

“ **Please refrain from accessing nearby screens until then,”** it warned. **“They have most likely been compromised..”**

He huffed in response. **“Well, that's not surprising. And what do suppose we do, for heaven's sake? They're right on our tails!”**

“ **Considering further tactics. I will guide you."**

“The next screen's up ahead!" Tifa cried out. “I'll get you there.”

“No,” he replied. “Not here. We need to get further away.”

“What?”

A block of office buildings was up ahead, the street diverging left and right. A flash of a vision appeared in his mind, urging him to action. _The motorbike turning left. A pickup truck skidding to a slide, quickly blocking the way. A crash._

_Don't turn left! Don't turn left! Danger. Danger!_

“ **Detection. They're here.”** The warning felt more like an afterthought. Yet Cloud always liked confirmation.

“Go right!” he told her.

“But the next screen's on the left side!” she protested.

“Just do it!”

In spite of her objection, she steered the bike right, just in time to spot a second van truck that was speeding towards them from the left side of the street. They raced along the block,making a hard right turn onto another street, and the pickup followed doggedly after them.

It was safe to conclude that the agents of Shinra were now chasing after them. Tifa briefly turned her head to look back and cursed.

“Headquarters is probably picking up on this,” she said to Cloud. “We just need to hold out for a while!”

“ **They are already on route,"** said Lynx. **"I have assessed a map of the city. This district runs alongside the local urban forest. May I suggest cutting through there? The density is too great. Other vehicles will not be able to follow through the trees. Or any of the bicycle trails.”**

“ **My, my. You are useful.”**

“ **I am an all-purpose weapon. I shall deal with your current pursuers.”**

“ **Have fun with that.”**

Cloud took a deep breath. “You know of the park close by?”

Tifa tilted her head. “Yeah?”

“Let's head there. We might be able to slow them down with the trees.”

“Good idea!”

Down the block they went, the buildings becoming a passing whirlwind. Cloud watched their surroundings. Surely, there might be more Shinra agents waiting to pounce.. At the next turn, at a cross section, Tifa went left this time and drove them towards the edge of the district.

“ **Are there any others we should worry about?”** he asked.

“ **Unable to properly assess,"** replied Lynx. **“My hacking abilities are limited. Cannot detect within range.”**

“ **Not so bad, I guess.”**

 

00000

 

Meanwhile, the driver of the van discovered that the steering wheel had suddenly locked ; he could no longer turn it. His breath hitched as he pulled and yanked at the wheel with all his strength, but it refused to budge. All the while, the water jets started spraying against the windshield. The window wipers swiped back and forth.

One of his team members shouted at him,

“What are you doing!? Turn the damned van! Turn us around! We're losing them!”

He pulled the wheel up and down and yelled incoherently. “Don't you get it? I can't, you idiot! It's stuck! The. Wheel. Is. Stuck!"

The front passenger tightened his jaw, horrified.

“Hit the brakes!” another demanded.

The driver stomped against the break, but it wouldn't go down. He tried again and again, shaking his head, letting out a string of cursing along with the rest of his team. The runaway vehicle barreled down the street with nothing to safely stop it in its tracks. A brick building stood almost directly in their path.

 

00000

 

Tifa heard a crash in the distance and flinched. She dared to look back once more and saw that the van was no longer behind them.

“What? What's going on?” she cried. “Did they just crash back there?”

She felt Cloud against her back, around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. He had gone quiet and still. Her hands clenched hard at the bars, and she lips tightened and trembled. But she kept moving forward.

_What did you do?_

“Well, at least we've lost them, ” she said.

“That's good to know,” he answered. “Let's get into the forest before someone else shows up!”

Tifa nodded assent. “You don’t have to tell me twice!”

She saw the first signs of the forest, its trees looming in sight over the buildings. She made the last turn and its edge finally came into view. They drove straight into it and quickly disappeared from Downtown Valonia.

 

00000

 

The Shinra surveillance team scrambled in an attempt to make sense of the situation. The screen grid in front of them, representing Valonia, pinpointed the locations of their agents in three dots. One dot was green and continued to gradually move. The remaining dots had gone red and ceased moving altogether. The warning bells continued to chime under their frantic voices.

“Tell me what’s happening!” Scarlet demanded. She spoke through an ear piece.

“We... are... down!” A man’s voice answered haggardly through a static-addled radio channel. “Team Two... is down! We crashed! We’ve taken casualities!”

“Team One! Team One.” Another man hunkered down at his desk, in front of his screen, calling out to the team through his headset. “Come in Team One!”

“Someone has hacked into both of their vehicles computer mainframes.” A woman explained from her post. “They went haywire, and the vehicles lost control. We’ve lost all contact with Team One. Team Two is in no condition to continue the mission. Team Three and Team Four are still on the move.”

Scarlet took a step back, staring at the chaos symbolized on the screen. _Were they... expecting us?_ She bit her lip, trying to think. _Mr. Strife’s precognition... no. This can’t be possible! That doesn’t account for everything. And even if that was the case... how could they have possibly hacked the vans so quickly? So easily? How would they have known which vehicles to hack?_

“This is Team Four,” another woman said over the radio. “We do not risk computerization. Shall we proceed?”

“This is Team Three.” A man joined in from another frequency. “We are disabling our computer. Shall we proceed?”

Scarlet took a deep breath, steeling herself, and closed her eyes.

“These are my orders,” she replied coldly. “Team Three. Team Four. Continue your mission as planned. But if you run into Wilhelmina or GUPTA... abort the mission and disappear!”

The teams answered firmly.

“Roger!”

“Roger!”

00000

 

Downtown Valonia was filled with a cacophony of sirens.

An agent of Shinra grunted loudly as he was shoved down hard on the ground in the middle of the street. Blood seeped from his head, and he was in too much of a daze to struggle. Elfe Hartell, the squad captain pinned him down and straddled his back, locking his arms firmly behind his back, and clamped a pair of cuffs around his wrists. Taking a syringe, she injected him in the neck, and he passed out in seconds. She quickly removed the cameo from his ear and pocketed it. She patted him down for a second time, just in case.

"Sorry about this; having to be so rough," she said. Her voice was low and childlike, and her tone was genuine, but it conveyed little emotion. "It's just bad luck you happen to be working for the Shinra Foundation."

“No need to waste time feeling sorry, Captain.” Noah Shears, her lieutenant, approached her with his gun lowered. He rolled his eyes and added, "You said do yourself: it’s the Foundation, for Cripes sake!”

Elfe stood up over the man’s body and side-stepped away. She gave her lieutenant a blank look before pointing downwards.

“Take him,” she said.

“Alright, alright. I got him." Shears snatched the agent from under his shoulders with a powerful grip and dragged him away, towards an heavily armored prisoner transfer vehicle. The man she subdued was last to be rounded up. She brushed her fingers against her bobbed brunette hair and sighed while casually observing the chaos.

Further on the other side of the street, the ill-fated van had slammed into the building, its front half turned into twisted metal. Smoke came out from under the hood; the fire had been extinguished only moments before by a fire truck. The driver and the front passenger had been killed on impact. Another passenger had sustained serious injuries. An ambulance was on the way, and the passenger door was currently being cut open to help him.

Another agent had been unconscious when they found him, but from a glance, he seemed to have gotten off with cuts and nasty bruises all over his body. Those that remained were hardly better off, and each had been knocked out before being unceremoniously loaded into the bus. A crew handled them from the inside, ready to take them back to headquarters.

“Did we get all their cameos?” Elfe asked, raising her voice. Her squad members quickly handed over the cameos they collected, and she compared them to the number of agents they had caught. She nodded in satisfaction, all accounted for. She unclipped her radio from one of her belt and reported back to headquarters.

“This is team Delta to GUPTA,” she said. “Target secure. Transport vehicle on its way.”

The vehicle was locked, and the squad watched as it returned to the Valonian division. Elfe walked up to Shears and gently elbowed him.

“Yes, Captain?” he asked.

“They don’t know what they’re fighting for,” she said. “Remember that.”

 

00000

 

Tremblay Forest Park was known for a network of narrow, rocky paths. Tifa took a trail that was designated for bicycles and slowed down to preserve gas. Cloud hoped it would keep the two of them from being pursued by another car. The path started out straight at first, until it reached a point somewhere in the middle, and began to curve. There was a sign that marked how far it was to Tremblay Lake: three and a half miles.

“Sure you didn’t predict any of this happening?” Tifa asked. It was question born more out of anger. And it wasn’t the first time she had asked.

“Nope,” Cloud replied. “I keep telling you. It’s not that simple. By the way, they’re are a lot of people near the lake, aren’t there? You sure no one will be on their bicycles around here?” This wasn’t the first time he had asked either.

“Not likely,” she shouted back. “And even then, there are eight routes around here. We’re not _that_ unlucky.”

The motorbike ran over an uneven spot, making it jolt. He held on tighter to Tifa, and her cheeks went red, her body fleetingly going stiff in his arms. She managed to relax again before long.

“I... know this trail,” she said, her voice unsteady. “We'll get to the lake soon. Hang on. The roads are kinda rough!”

Cloud laughed. “So I gathered!”

Tifa groaned quietly... but a smile creeped on her face.

The trail was surrounded by beech trees with delicate, fairylike leaves and old oaks with thick, hearty trunks. On the right side of the trail, there was an upward hill, and the trail gradually grew steeper beside it. Cloud’s eyes darted over his surroundings; he had never seen anything like it in the domes.

“I did predict one thing though,” he corrected himself. “I knew you were going to force me to get on this bike.”

“Did you now?” She felt her own heartbeat, still very conscious of his unrelenting grip on her body. It was necessity, but still...

 _Get a grip,_ she chided herself. _What is wrong with you? We just got out of trouble back there. And we’re not out of the woods yet!_

No pun intended.

“I had a few visions while I slept last night,” he said. He started to snuggle against her back, rather than merely lean on her for support. She swallowed hard. “There was one where we were riding together through a really green forest. When I saw it, I knew wouldn’t be alone today.”

Cloud tilted his head back in thought and started to frown. “Though to be quite honest,” he admitted, “I was kind of disappointed.”

Tifa choked, feeling a lump in her throat. “Disa...ppointed? Did you... actually _want_ to be on your own today? I know you didn’t see this coming, but you do realize that if you’d been alone...”

“No, it’s not that,” he replied. “I just thought... I was having a normal dream for once. It was surreal. Some of it more color than shapes. But that just can’t be.” He shook his head. “No. Seers... just don’t dream. They can’t.”

She noticed that he had lost some of the cheer in his voice. _Sore subject?_ she wondered.

“Cloud...”

In the distance, they heard the sound of roaring engines. Cloud craned his neck, but at first, he saw nothing.

“You hear that?” he asked.

She didn’t answer, but she floored the gas and motorcycle speed up. He peered up at the hill and saw something moving fast in the distance. It was weaving through the beeches.

He swallowed. “I think we’ve got company.”

The engines grew louder as they approached. Cloud turned his head, watched and waited. And they appeared into view. First one...then three... four motorcycles were following behind them on the trail. He clicked his teeth.

“Oh for the love of St. Michael!” he cried, exasperated. “Really?”

Tifa adjusted the motorcycle mirror and saw them in its reflection. She looked back and did a double take. "You've got to be kidding me! They’re on bikes too!?"

The chase was on once again.

“If it’s any consolation,” Cloud shouted to Tifa, “I think they still don't want to kill us.”

She apparently had nothing to say to that.

 

00000

 

“ **I suppose you can’t hack these too, can you?”** he asked Lynx.

“ **Not possible,”** it replied. **“I detect no computerization from their vehicles.”**

“ **Anything else we can try? I'm no action hero. I can’t do much on the back of a motorcycle.”**

“ **I could possibly manifest myself and attack... but this area lacks enough electricity. In your current state, drawing energy solely from you would put too much stress on your body. I would suggest that as a last resort.”**

“ **I suppose I couldn’t jump off and let Tifa escape by herself,”** he considered. **“We could give them the slip on our own, right?”**

Lynx paused before replying, **“Negative. While we are capable of that, such a scenario is unlikely. In light of her personality, Miss Lockheart will not allow you to take such an action.”**

“ **Ah, you're right. But it was worth a thought...”**

A sudden jolt of premonition struck him. _Don’t worry. Help is on the way._

Cloud glanced to and fro among the trees. _Help? From where?_

It often vexed him when his foresight decided to be vague. Especially when the time called for details.

“ **So then what?”** he asked.

“ **Endure for now,”** it instructed.“ **Reach the lake. They can’t risk being seen by wild citizens. Let's hope your premonition is sufficient.”**

 

00000

 

Tifa drove on the inside of the road, skillfully navigating the turns, and yet their pursuers were slowly gaining on them. She looked into the mirror and saw one of them pulling out a gun. They started shooting at the tires. She grunted and maneuvered the bike as best she could on the narrow road.

“Not trying to kill us, eh?” she snapped.

“I don’t think they’d mind us breaking a bone either,” he answered.

In the corner of his eye, Cloud saw something moving down the hill. A shot rang out. He swerved his head, while Tifa watched from the mirror, and they watched as one of their pursuers toppled off of his motorcycle. It fell over in the middle of the road, slowing down his comrades.

One wasn’t fast enough to avoid it and collided head-on. His motorcycle flipped over, throwing him several feet in the air and slamming him into a tree.

Tifa dropped her jaw. _That would be so cool if this wasn’t real life._

 _Ouch!_ Cloud winced with a grimace.

A fifth motorcyclist suddenly burst from the trees, revving its engine, and leapt down from the hill. He landed on one of them, the wheel of his black motorcycle connecting with the body of its target, and knocked them off the path. The agent cried out with a woman’s scream and tumbled into a roll.

Cloud and Tifa went around the bend, leaving the unexplained rescue behind. A few more shots rang out. No one seemed to be following them anymore.

“Who was that?” asked Tifa. “He isn't one of our people, is he?”

Cloud personally could've cared less. Not that it stopped him from questioning it.

 

00000

 

“ **I am sending a report of this with coordinates to headquarters,”** Lynx announced. **“A squad from GUPTA will come to collect them. And their cameos.”**

“ **You can do all that,”** he said incredulously,“ **but you can’t come out and play in the physical world?”**

“ **You speak in jest,”** it observed, **“but my current functional capacity is clear. And the task is comparably smaller. Our connection is adequate enough.”**

 

00000

 

Cloud saw their mysterious rescuer appear in the motorcycle’s mirror. The roar of his engine was practically non-existent as it came up from behind. Tifa’s helmeted head bent low for a moment before concentrating on the path; she saw it too. The stranger biker caught up and traveled beside them. He pressed a button on his helmet, and the visor went up, revealing the upper half of his face.

“Mr. Strife, I take it?” he greeted. He alternated his attention between Cloud and the bike trail. “You’re causing quite a ruckus around here.”

Tifa scrutinized him for a moment; brown leather jacket, black motorcycle pants, and scruffy looking boots. Whoever this man was, it was unlikely that he was a member of Wilhelmina.

“Less than what you’re used you,” Cloud guessed allowed. “Why did you help us?”

“You being captured by the Foundation,” the biker replied, “isn’t in our best interests. And besides, a friend of Sephiroth is a friend of mine.”

“W-wait a second,” Tifa interrupted. “You know Seph?”

The biker glanced at her but ignored her question altogether. “Be careful. There’s still another rash of mooks that haven’t been captured yet. And they’re desperate. They’ll still try to complete their mission.”

Tifa scowled. _The hell?_

Cloud felt another premonition whisper in his head and spoke up. “Thanks for the tip-off. Mind if I share a little warning of my own?”

“Oh?”

“When you go back to your hideout,” he said, “someone’s going to try and punch you.”

He laughed in response. “I’ll bet he will. Goodbye, Mr. Strife. ‘Love all, trust a few, and do wrong to none'.”

He gave them a wink and took his motorcycle off the road. He drove away, zigzagging through the trees, and was suddenly gone.

“Shakespeare,” Cloud said to himself. “ _All’s Well That Ends Well_.”

For a few minutes, neither of the pair said a word. They passed by another sign. Tremblay Lake was a half a mile away.

“Seriously,” Tifa finally said. “Who was that guy?”

“I might have an idea,” replied Cloud. He recognized... something in the man, but he couldn’t quite remember where from. “But I think that’s a question for Sephiroth Bentley.”

“So many questions,” she said, shaking her head. Her voice was barely loud enough for him to hear.

“That’s not our priority right now,” he replied. “We need to get to the lake. Then we can figure out how to keep them off our backs so we can find some bugs...”

“Excuse me?”

“We need to test out your new gear, don’t we?”

Tifa went silent and grit her teeth. Her shoulders hunched.

“Miss Lockheart...”

“Are you _really_ still thinking about that!?”

 

00000

 

Back in the city of Sandeep, Aerith strolled through the end an unfamiliar hall. She carried a small hologram board under her arm. In spite of the turmoil, her appearance was as neat as ever, her stride and posture remained professional. The new location, she believed, suited their purpose quite nicely.

The place, a gated mass of gray brick, was a defunct government building somewhere near a park in a residential neighborhood. The windows had been boarded up, and it was only five floors, much smaller than headquarters, but its purpose wasn’t to re-house all the contents in the previous building. The whole operation was being spread out.

Aerith didn’t mind. She enjoyed how everything was being scaled down. No more long rides down the elevator. And not many places could boast a lobby with marble floors!

The basement floor was also ideal for equipment and operations.

Though it was not their plan to move soon, it had been a project in the making. It was thought that spreading their divisions throughout the city was better than leaving everything into on single spot, as one single target. They had even started slowly buying up other buildings for their divisions... but this was not supposed to happen for months, and they still been caught unawares. They weren’t ready.

Reaching a door, she breathed out sharply and entered the new office of Reeve Tuesti.

It did not boast an excellent view of the city anymore. In fact, it didn’t have windows at all.

He sipped on coffee from his favorite mug, one of the few things he had taken with him. Before he had quietly left headquarters, he had packed everything he couldn’t stand to lose. They were all designated a proper place around the room, including his holographic laptop and a photograph of himself and Enoch Strife on his desk.

“Here are the current reports, sir,” she said. “The outbreak hasn’t occurred yet. However, the ploy has been a success. The anti-Shinra have captured several agents. Some are still at large though.”

“Splendid. Also good to work with GUPTA.”

“And Miss Lockheart was indeed caught in the fray. She was last spotted in Mr. Strife’s company.”

“That is within our calculations.”

“Of course. Also, a third party has appeared.”

“A third party?”

“Yes. Mr. Strife and Miss Lockheart had an encounter with some agents in Tremblay Forest Park. An unknown party came to their aid. There were casualties.”

Tuesti raised an eyebrow. “That _is_ interesting. Mr. Strife will probably contact us soon.”

He leaned back into his chair and shook head. “Poor devils,” he mused. “After GUPTA extracts their information from their cameos, they’ll be as good as dead anyway. They’ve been compromised.”

“Unless GUPTA can recruit some of them,” she replied. Aerith beamed optimistically. “Not all agents are loyal to the Foundation.”

“True.”

Aerith bowed her head. “Have a good morning, Mr. Tuesti. I’ll be back later with further reports.”

With that, she left his office and went to have a full breakfast. It had been a very busy morning.

 

00000

 

Soon after, the siren went off all over the city. Barret cruised along his assigned district and clenched his left hand in anticipation. He heard the tell-all growl nearby. Meanwhile, in a residential district, Vincent stopped and pulled out his bug tracker. Three had shown up in his area. Yuffie had been caught scarfing down a lukewarm breakfast sandwich. She straddled her bike and raced towards the nearest cluster she could reach. Sephiroth only checked his tracker and smiled.

Cloud and Tifa finally arrived at Tremblay Lake. The people of Valonia all stopped to listened to the sirens.

The outbreak had officially begun.

 


	13. XII: Bait and Switch - Slipping Through the Cracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And finally, an update!
> 
> I found myself needing to add more to previous chapters. There needed to be more structure, more rules, more backstory... and to be quite frank, there were a few patches that just didn't make much sense. 
> 
> I've made changes to chapters 1-4 & 6-10. Some of them so minor you'd barely notice. The rest of it includes, changed sequences of dialogue, extended scenes, a completely revised scene or two, a bit more world history, and date changes to make a more coherent timeline.

The last thing Scarlet wanted to hear was a lack of response from Team Four. One of the team members had shouted something about an unknown shooter, not the police, and then... silence.

 

Team Three was still on the move, but the odds were looking grim.

 

And now, the bug outbreak was commencing in Valonia.

 

Time was ticking. She needed to make the call... and fast.

 

Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, and she glanced at the caller. Rufus Shinra. She swallowed, walked towards the side entrance, and took the call. Tseng watched her as she went. Their eyes met briefly.

 

“What's going on?” Rufus demanded of her.

 

Scarlet heard the door shut behind her and cleared her throat. “It's gone south.”

 

“South?”

 

"Three out of four of our teams have been taken out. Two of them by an unidentified hacker. The third was attacked by an unknown shooter. We're assuming that they've been captured or…"

 

"We've been had, haven't we?"

"I believe so, sir."

"What about our remaining team? Their status. Are they at risk?"

"They've shut down and disconnected their vehicle's computer system, but I don't know if that will be enough to protect them. Then there's the matter of the bug outbreak. It's already begun in the city. There are monsters in the streets."

The line went quiet, save for his breathing. Scarlet braced herself for what she was about the suggest.

 

“Sir, I think we should abort the mission. Pull out now. Before we lose the rest of our agents.”

 

"Not yet."

 

"B-but sir…" Scarlet clamped her mouth shut and let him continue.

 

“Trap or no,” he said, “this may be our only opportunity to detain Mr. Strife… and retrieve the Cameo Omega device. If we lose Mr. Strife now, he may not resurface again. We can still try to use this against them. "

 

"I see."

 

"But we don't want to feed them any more of our agents," he said. "One hour. That's all they get. If they can't take him into custody before then, you have my permission to abort the mission and order them to return to the domes. That includes the 'spotters'. Everyone leaves."

 

"And what of the other teams?"

 

“If they've been compromised after all, then they are expendable. Leave them be. They're of no use to us now.”

 

Scarlet let her head fall, but she nodded in agreement.

 

“Then we will continue with the operation, sir,” she said. “One hour.”

 

“Good.”

 

Rufus hung up without saying another word. She returned inside, her face like stone, and followed her orders.

 

00000

 

The hunt was in full swing.

 

Barret hid behind the wall in an alley and peeked around the corner. The wiring in a local video game store had been ripped apart, and five bugs had emerged, smashing through its front windows. They were larger than the last ones he had seen. A burst of electricity erupted from the broken wires, and a sixth bug materialized in the sparks. It shook its body, gaining its bearings in the outside world.

 

_Kids won't be happy about that,_ he mused. “Six bugs at a games store.” He announced it to the team through the ear radio. He waited, watching for more to come. For two minutes, none appeared. They weren't moving from the area either. His presence was clear to them.

 

_Six,_ he thought. _I can take 'em. If I play my odds right._

 

Carefully, he aimed his gun from his hiding spot. He chose a target and fired. The bullet struck one of the bugs in the head, and it went down. The pack yowled and snarled in uproar. He quickly picked another target and shot it in the side. It fell, writhing in pain on the street. He ran out and faced them head on, firing three more shots. Each met their mark, and two of the bugs whimpered and hissed in agony as their bodies toppled and dissolved away. The bullets were certainly very effective.

 

He would give his compliments to Miss Rui later.

 

The air sung with terrible notes of moans and howls intermingling with gunfire.

 

Another bug leapt at him. Barret grunted and smashed his gloved fist into its jaw. It roared in pain, electric sparks coming off its injury, and it fell to the ground, unable to move. He finished it off with another well placed bullet. His next victim tried to pounce from the side, but he swung around and pounded it with a flying haymaker to the head. The last bug flopped onto its stomach and rolled onto its side, its body twitching. It threw its head back with a snarl. He grit his teeth, aimed the muzzle, and finished it off.

 

Barret looked around. The blood splatter on the ground were the only thing left of his good work. He then noticed a news van in the distance and barely kept himself from scowling for the camera. _Sooner I move on, the better._

 

He raised his hand, examining the gauntlet, and clenched his fist repeatedly. Barret nodded in approval and his mood improved. But he also wondered, _Is it just my imagination, or does this thing... make me feel... stronger?_

 

He waited a little bit longer in the area, but no more bugs emerged from the broken wires. He checked the tracker again to be sure. He put on his helmet, leapt onto his motorcycle, and drove off.

 

There were more bugs to be found.

 

00000

 

Cloud stood facing the lake. He was thinking.

 

They had stopped in a parking lot near the water. Tifa sat on the motorcycle, staring at his back. The parking lot was virtually empty, save for other motorcycles that were driven into the forest park. The citizens had mostly traveled there by bus or on foot, to limit the danger of bringing bugs into the area.

The only other vehicles present were an ancient looking restaurant on wheels and a fortified news van that was parked on the grass near an oak tree. The news crew were busy interviewing random passersby.

 

"It doesn't make any sense," she finally said. "How did the Shinra Foundation even find you? To them, you're supposed to be dead!"

 

Cloud didn't answer. The sirens continued to shrill in the distance.

 

Tifa felt her frustration boil, and she pushed herself off of the seat. She grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a shake.

 

“Cloud...!”

 

"It was that hacking session," he revealed to her. "Someone in that room opened Pandora's box. A huge, top-secret can of worms. And it should never have been touched."

 

Tifa froze, realizing what he was saying. There could only have been one thing he was talking about. "That Cameo Omega Project." Her hand slowly slipped away from him. "The Foundation. They caught us?"

 

"Yes," he replied, and her heart thudded painfully in her chest. He proceeded to explain how they had weaseled their way into Wilhelmina's system and gained access to the security camera feed. “You remember what happened the other day, right?” he asked. “When you saw me swap bodies? There was a sudden blackout at headquarters.”

 

As if Tifa could ever forget. “I was inside Mr. Tuesti's office. We were having an argument. About you. Then the lights just... flickered out for a few minutes. We thought it was only bugs.”

 

Cloud breathed in heavily and exhaled sharply. “Oh you _wish_ it were only bugs.”

 

“They didn't bother to hide it?”

 

“Obviously not.”

 

She shook her head, laughing in contempt of herself. Of her teammates. "Gaining access to such a top-secret document, with that much security? Without being spotted? We should've known it was too good to be true!"

 

“Perhaps.” She didn't hear a hint of mockery in his tone. He turned to her with a smile that was somewhat pained. “I think I can guess what Rufus Shinra was thinking. When he and his cronies tracked that signal back to us. 'What is Wilhelmina doing, looking into our precious project? Why are they so interested in it? Who among their organization would be privy to _that_ kind of information?'”

 

She nodded grimly. “Yeah, that sounds about right. And if they found us out, they noticed we were snooping around your profile too... but we knew nothing about the Cameo Omega...”

 

_I can't believe we've screwed up this badly! This is such a mess!_

 

Tifa slipped her hands into her team jacket and stood beside him. Their surroundings, in spite of the ensuing bug hunt, were a stark contrast to the mood. City people chatting and walking about. A group of preteens playing by the lake. A couple of people were fishing at the dock. A family were selling food at a stand. As if they were all at a picnic.

 

“The Valonians are quite the character,” he commented. “I like this place.”

 

“But how?” Tifa said, as if she didn't hear him. “How would they know how to look for a dead person?”

 

Cloud sighed and answered her. “Because the Foundation knows that Wilhelmina uses revival,” he replied plainly. “Well, some of their higher-ups do. And once they figured out I was connected to Wilhelmina, Director Shinra probably suspected I'd been given... insurance. So they went in to search me out. And they found me.”

 

“If they knew we had the technology,” she said, “Then why haven't they done anything about it?”

 

Cloud scratched his head. “What _can_ they do about it? It's already been leaked. And perhaps, they wanted to save face. Maybe, they didn't think it mattered in the long run. Who knows? ”

 

Tifa felt ill with guilt. “I guess it doesn't. But... we've ruined things for you, haven't we? You're not safe anymore.” She shook her head forlornly. "I'm so sorry."

 

“What do you have to be sorry about?” he asked. “It wasn't the Titans 7 that exposed us. There was something off about the hacking team, wasn't there?”

 

Tifa flinched, suddenly recalling the details. "Yes. Barret said that there was an extra someone on the hacking team. Someone who didn't belong.” Yet this did nothing to relieve her of her guilt. “Still, if we'd never held that hacking session, that man would never have snuck in. Ah, I thought it was all so stupid! I knew I should've said something!”

 

“Do you think you could've changed Barret's mind?”

 

She dropped her head, shaking it. “No. But I could've talked to Vince. Vince might've listened. And then he might've gotten through to Barret...”

 

“So what if Mr. Valentine could've stopped him?” Cloud asked. “So what? What if our man in question decided he didn't _need_ to sneak into the session? What if he infiltrated our headquarters after hours and helped himself to our server anyway? We'd _still_ be holding the bag. What then?”

 

“But that's...” She wanted to argue but couldn't find the words to do it. He had her there.

 

“You see? I'm a clairvoyant. I always deal with what will happen, how I can change it, and why it happened anyway. There's no point in mulling over what could've been, Miss Lockheart. What's done is done.”

 

She groaned inwardly at him. _At least be a little angry about it, why don't you? Geez._

 

The ducks on the pond were honking in the distance. One of them flapped furiously at a child who got to close to its chicks. _Take your queues from the duck._ But she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed with him. She didn't feel she had the right.

 

“I'm sorry,” Tifa said again, unable to help it.

 

He drew close, and she felt his hands on her shoulders.

 

“Would it make you feel better if I accepted your apology?” he asked.

 

“Yes.” The answer came out of her mouth before she realized it.

 

"Alright then," he replied readily. "I accept your apology. But really. Don't be. This was inevitable.”

 

She looked up at him, her spirits lifted in surprise. “Inevitable?”

 

His signature cheeky grin had reappeared on his face. “Did you really think I was planning on staying hidden forever? I was going to step out of the shadows sooner or later. It's just happening a little sooner than we expected.” He then grinned even wider and gave her a wink. “And besides, it's actually working out for us rather nicely.”

 

Her eyebrows bunched together in her confusion. _Working out for us?_ “I'd like to know how they knew you'd be in Valonia today.”

 

“Ah yes. It's all quite a puzzle, isn't it?” He let her go, folding his arms, and stared off into oblivion. “And I think I'm about to pick up a few pieces of it.”

 

“A premonition?” she questioned.

 

“No,” he replied, smiling pensively. “A theory. A hunch.”

 

She nodded, accepting it. “There's something else that's bothering me," she said. _Among other things._ “If Mr. Tuesti knew you'd been discovered… then why did he send you out into the open with a stupid delivery? Look what happened!"

 

“That was precisely what was meant to happen.”

 

Tifa dropped her jaw, astounded. She almost wanted to sit back down on the motorcycle. Cloud took on a more serious expression and watched her reaction.

 

“You were... playing bait,” she said.

 

“Yes, I'm afraid so,” he answered. “Those agents thought they were coming to capture me. But it was trap. A game. This was actually a joint operation between Wilhelmina and the GUPTA police. We weren't sure they would actually come after me today. But Mr. Tuesti figured they would eventually... at one point or other. So they were ready for them.”

 

She scowled. “Oh, I'll bet they were.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Why? Why would you let the Director talk you into this? And why didn’t you just tell me so in the first place?”

 

“Because I hoped it wouldn't come to this. I didn't want you involved. That's why I didn't want to accept the ride. But Mr. Tuesti? He _counted_ on you doing that.” Cloud looked down and pointed at her new boots. “He sprung this delivery on me just this morning... and made it so I didn't have time to refuse. The sly old fox. Everyone was already in position. And in the end... I knew you wouldn't let me be. Not after my vision. Not after you read my files...”

 

Tifa raised her hands in frustration. “Of course I wouldn't! There's no way I could've just left you like that!”

 

He cocked his head, bemused by her outburst. “You know... I expected you to be angry about having your life put in danger.”

 

“Newsflash! If you haven't guessed yet, I'm no stranger to that kind of thing.”

 

Cloud sighed. “Miss Lockheart...”

 

She pretended not to hear him. “And I kinda knew I was sticking out my neck for you. You don't need to be psychic to have _some_ kind of foresight!” She tapped herself on the side of the head.

 

“Miss Lockheart...”

 

“Why couldn’t you trust me? I don't get it. Sometimes... you act as if... you're alone in all of this...”

 

“Tifa!”

 

Tifa blinked. He had never raised his voice like that before. His face had tightened into a glower. And since when did he called her by her first name? Her anger and indignation vanished, and she clenched her teeth, suddenly feeling rather foolish.

 

_Those are some pretty conceited words there,_ she chided herself. ' _Trust me?' I'm not sure we can even call each other colleagues. Let alone... friends._ A lump grew in her throat. _Why am I getting so worked up over this? It's... none of my business..._

 

His expression softened, as if realizing it was scowling, and he avoided her gaze at first. “I guess I'm not the only one who wants to apologize today,” he murmured. He drew in a deep breath, took her gently by the hand, and looked her directly in the eyes. “I'm sorry, Miss Tifa. I'm not sure you can understand... but I was born for this. I wish I had a better way to explain it, but that's how it is. If you want me to rely on you more... then I'll try to. I trust you. I do. But please... I have to see this through... no matter what.”

 

Tifa stared back, and she felt lighter almost immediately. Her heart thrummed with a relentless pit-a-pat. She realized her cheeks were heating up. They had to be turning red again. She snatched her hand away fast, shoving it back into her pocket.

 

“Alright, so we're clear then!” she said. Her voice was a few pitches too high for her comfort. “Just... take better care of yourself!”

 

She held her head up high, barely maintaining her composure.

 

Cloud arched his brow and pulled his focus away, his eyes going back to the lake. He mumbled something about women being a mystery. She coughed into her fist, willing her face to stop flaring up. They stood side by side once again.

 

Then suddenly, he gasped, his eyes flashing. He jerked and turned towards the direction of the news van. Tifa calmly did the same, trying to understand what he was noticing. “Huh? What is it now?”

 

00000

 

Cloud kept staring at the small news crew, standing amongst the Valonian citizens. They were a distance away from their van, in the middle of interviewing a couple. A proverbial lightbulb flickered on in his head. The wheels turned in his thinking. A plan began to form and take shape.

 

He consulted Lynx. **“You did say that they can’t risk being seen by citizens of the wild, right?”**

 

“ **Correct,”** it replied.

 

His lips curled deviously. _**“Well isn't that just perfect?”**_

 

00000

 

Cloud turned to Tifa with a beaming grin (that bordered on nefarious) and pointed excitedly at the news van. “That's it!”

 

“A van from the Valonian News Network,” she droned, feeling uneasy. She didn't like dealing with reporters. “What about it 'em?”

 

“That's our solution right there,” he declared. “I know how we can give those agents the slip. Then we can test out your goodies.” He grabbed her hand, stepped onto the grass, and trotted briskly towards the crew, pulling her behind him. “Come along, Miss Lockheart. Duty calls.”

 

Tifa jangled the rental keys in her pocket and let him pull her without a struggle. “Wait. Cloud? What are we doing? Where are we going?”

 

He got out his cell phone and pressed a number on speed dial. She glimpsed the name on caller ID: Mr. Tuesti, and grimaced. _Speaking of not trusting somebody..._

 

“Hello, sir,” Cloud greeted politely. “Yes... yes. There was an unknown. I think I might recognize him from somewhere. But let's talk about that later. Listen... there are more agents we need to find, and Miss Lockheart needs to get back to the hunt. With your permission, there's something I want to do.”

 

She stole a glance at their connecting hands, two different sets of gloves with intertwined fingers. Her cheeks blushed red for a third time. She gulped and pursed her lips.

 

_Oh God. Ground, swallow me up now._

 

00000

 

Elfe wasn't keen on the extra work, but duty had never been known to be a gracious lady.

 

Her squad had been called out to collect more agents who had appeared on a bike route in Tremblay Forest Park. When she arrived with her squad, the sight astounded her. Four Shinra agents were lying along the edge of the road, their motorcycles scattered all over the place. A posse of emergency medical personnel trailed only a couple of minutes behind. A CSI team showed up to examine the mess.

 

All cameos were removed on sight.

 

One of the agents, a woman, had gotten off with an arm that was probably fractured. Another agent, who had been thrown against an oak, suffered a broken leg and a bad concussion. The medical team had to give them temporary care before carrying them down the road on stretchers. The remaining two on the team were destined to be tucked away into body bags. One man had taken a bullet to the neck. The other had been hit twice in the chest, and Elfe noted that the bike nearest to him was pointed in the opposite direction from the others. Had he turned to face their attacker?

 

No matter. Once the surviving pair were lucid enough to talk, her superiors would drill and question them. Knowing that, Elfe couldn't decided which of the four had come out the luckiest.

 

Her cell phone rang, the caller identified as one of her superiors. It was rare for one of her superiors to call during an operation. She picked up. “Yes, sir?”

 

“This line is secure,” he replied, stressing the importance.

 

“I see,” she replied.

 

“Taking care of things on your end?” he asked.

 

“All taken care of, sir. But only two of them survived. A woman, possibly in her early thirties, and a man... about in his mid-twenties perhaps.”

 

“And the deceased?”

 

“Two poor saps, sir. Mid-twenties.”

 

“Include it in your official report. Is there seen any sign of the perp?”

 

Elfe stifled the urge to sigh. She had already known what this call was about.

 

How could there possibly be any sign of the man in question? With the description her team had been given, merely of his clothes and build, there was far too little information to go by. Tall, perhaps six feet. A brown leather jacket. A red helmet. Black motorcycle pants. A pair of well-worn boots. Take that off, and he would have been invisible to them.

 

The only thing he had left behind for clues were the bullets he fired and a set tire tracks that were distinctive from the tires of the other motorcycles. If the culprit was smart, then he was long gone.

 

“My apologies, sir. No trace of him.”

 

“I suppose it was too much to hope for.”

 

_That's that,_ she thought. “My squad will return to headquarters then, sir.”

 

Her superior replied, “No. Not yet. Before you do that, I have another task for you.”

 

Elfe bowed her head, resigned and dutiful. “Yes sir?”

 

“We have a request sent down from Wilhelmina. A plan is being set in motion. Take one of your men, preferably with a slight build, and get down to the lake right now.”

 

He then proceeded to give her further instructions. She received them with care.

 

“I'll get on it, sir.”

 

Her superior hung up first, and she walked back to the crime scene. She joined her lieutenant's side, and he folded his arms.

 

“What was that all about?” Shears asked. Physically, her lieutenant towered over her, and his well-built. She allowed herself a slight grin. Definitely out of the question.

 

“They think the perp was someone important,” she answered. “But we've got nothing.”

 

“Too bad, isn't it?” he said. “I almost want to shake the bastard's hand.”

 

Elfe rubbed her forehead. “Oh Noah...”

 

She drew her attention back to the task at hand. _Slight build,_ she thought. _Slight build._ Her line of vision quickly focused on a female squad member. She was stooped over a dead body. _She'll do just fine._

 

“Chelsea,” she called out. “Need you over here.”

 

Chelsea's head shot up. She stood with a hop and marched over. “Captain?”

 

“Go down with the rest of the boys,” Elfe told her lieutenant. “We'll catch up with you later.”

 

“Something going on?” he asked.

 

“I'll tell you later,” she replied. She didn't smile again, but she gave his arm a friendly squeeze.

 

Elfe pointed over her shoulder, signaling for Chelsea to follow, and they quickly left the crime scene. Elfe abruptly stepped off the road and navigating through the trees. Her subordinate's brow rose in surprise, but she hiked after her without questioning it. The ground descended into another hill.

 

“We need to get to the west side of the lake,” Elfe explained to her, ducking under a branch. “Cutting through here is the best way. I'm sure one of the boys out there will lend us a ride.” The leaves and twigs snapped and crunched in their wake, and the hill gradually turned into level ground. The eventually reached a wider road, where another section of the police had gathered.

 

After Elfe explained the situation, without giving too much away, one of the cops begrudgingly tossed over the keys to his motorcycle. Chelsea folded her hands and bowed her head with a grateful smile, promising to return the vehicle with a full tank.

 

Five minutes later, the two women reached the parking lot.

 

00000

 

After parting ways with the middle-aged couple, the reporter and her camera crew returned to the van. The reporter scanned the crowd as they walked, as if she were a bird searching for prey. Meanwhile, her assistant let out a weary sigh as she manned a small cart that carried their equipment. The cart made a whirring noise as it automatically rolled beside her at her ever step.

 

The cameraman eyed her from under the hood of his jacket and patted her on the back.

 

“Hang in there,” he said to her. "This ain't so bad. We've met some pretty interesting people!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah...” she replied. “I know. I _know_. But everyone else gets to ride around in the thick of it... and we're stuck here. Most of these people just want to get on camera. And they don't have very much to say either...”

 

He smirked at her. “You'd rather risk getting your face chewed off?”

 

She arched her brow at him. “The van is armored.”

 

The cameraman nonchalantly rolled his shoulders. The assistant rubbed the back of her neck. "I can't help but think… everyone else who hit the streets... they're the ones who are doing what actually matters right now. Is this even... worth anything?"

 

The reporter hummed in agreement, tossing her curls behind her back. “It feels like that all time. And that's just how journalism is, sweetie pie. It can't always be sunshine, lollipops, and big, fugly monsters." She turned back to her assistant and gave her a comforting wink. "But don't say that this doesn't matter. When we snag these interviews, we're showing the wilds that everyone in Valonia is doing just fine. I don't think getting up close and personal with the bugs is ever that reassuring."

 

The assistant smiled, cheering up a little. “Guess that's true.”

 

“And we're not the only ones,” she said. “Don't forget Joey.” The reporter jabbed her thumb to the side, pointing at the other side of the lake. “He and his team is over there, and he hates this kind of work more you _ever_ will!”

 

The cameraman sniggered into his knuckles.

 

Their driver, a large man, was standing beside the van. He watched over the rest of their equipment like a guard dog. Some of the equipment was set up on the bench table in an organized fashion.

 

Cloud and Tifa were sitting at the bench, waiting patiently for them. Cloud was finishing up a phone call while curiously fiddling with one of their hidden cameras. Tifa was busy twirling her plait into a bun. The cameraman frowned.

 

“Why is he doing, letting them sit there?” he asked, glaring darts at their strong man. “That's our stuff!”

 

“Hmmmm,” the reporter purred, her eyes drawn to Cloud. “Who cares, who cares? Maybe they're waiting for a few minutes of fame.” The left side of her mouth kicked up. “He's kinda hot. Let's get them next, why don't we?”

 

“Really gunning for those ratings, aren't ya Priss?” said the camera man.

 

Priscilla the reporter grinned all teeth. “Ah, you know me so well.”

 

They approached quickly, eager to claim their next target. But before Priscilla could open her mouth to speak, Cloud stood up fast, putting the camera away, and started the talking.

 

“Excuse me,” he said, clasping his hands together. “We're from Wilhelmina. We were wondering if we could have a moment of your time.”

 

The trio froze, their cart clicking as it stopped with them. Priscilla opened her mouth in disbelief. The assistant nudged him and pointed out the two anti-Shinra policewomen that were lingering in the background under an oak tree. Elfe leaned against the trunk, eyeing them stoically. Chelsea stood next to her under the shade, looking very mystified and confused. Tifa rolled her eyes and reluctantly flashed her Titans 7 badge in front of the crew. Their faces lit up with interest.

 

The cameraman turned to the assistant and said, “Guess we're definitely doing something that 'matters' after all.”

 

00000

 

The news van pulled away from the lake and left Tremblay Forest Park altogether. Cloud and Tifa were gone. So were Elfe and Chelsea. The rented motorcycle had been driven off the lot. The police motorcycle remained where it was.

 

00000

 

Yuffie Kisaragi continued her patrol with a gung-ho exuberance, zipping through the vacant streets of an upscale district in the city. Previously, she had exterminated two bug that had shown up in a liquor store. When she happened upon them, ready to kill, an entire shelf of red wine had been knocked over, the bottles shattered everywhere. And both of the bugs were lapping it up off the floor.

 

For a moment, perhaps about fifteen seconds, she had stood gaping at the other end of the aisle. When they had finally acknowledged her existence, they wobbled and stumbled as they tried to attack her. One of them belched. She was so stunned, she had almost forgotten to shoot them.

 

She had confirmed the kill to her team, without mentioning the details, before moving on.

 

Yuffie giggled ruefully as she made a turn. _And no one will ever believe me._

 

She was going after another infection, guided by the prompting of the tracking device on her cell. When she had last checked the screen, it had pinpointed two more bugs lurking about in the area.

 

Only two more of the ugly buggers? Seemed simple enough to her. This was shaping up to be an easy hunt in her eyes. It usually was in Valonia.

 

She was getting close. Yuffie stopped at a light, even though their were no cars to wait for her, and checked the tracker. It was the newly updated version. Red dots for bugs. Yellow for herself. Sephiroth, who had seen it work during the hunt in Rona, insisted on its accuracy.

 

_Still... I don't get it. How were he and Cloud able to kill twenty bugs together?_

 

She frowned at the read-out. According to the screen, three of them were now wandering around the next infection point. No matter. As long she went about it carefully, it was no big deal.

 

Yuffie eventually reached a very posh-looking cafe. It was sitting at the corner end of the street, right next to a bus stop. She saw one of the bugs immediately from across the street, gaining its bearings by the bus stop's ad screen. The ad screen was broken, spewing electricity. She assumed that was its entry point. Taking aim from far off, she fired two bullets and felled it. It dropped to the ground, flailing and moaning until its body vanished.

 

She held up the tracker before putting it away. The other two were definitely inside the cafe.

 

“They're split up,” she mumbled. “This'll be fine. I can take 'em”

 

She parked along the sidewalk, across the street from the building and watched the ad screen for a moment. The tracker didn't pick up anything else. She circled around to the back entrance. She need to find a keyhole on the outside. Strutting up to the door, she sighed with a bit of regret and reached into her pocket.

 

"Okay then," she sang. "Time for Mr. Skeleton." She fished out her padlock skeleton key, issued out to the Titans 7 for whenever the situation called for it. She slid it into the lock, turned it, and the door slid open for her. Yuffie had never liked this part of the job. She felt like a cheap burglar.

 

With pistol in hand, she rushed into the cafe's kitchen, pointing the muzzle in different directions, listening out for her targets. She heard a growl from the beyond the kitchen and pursued it.

 

She heard her team mates chattering on their frequency but ignored it. Sneaking up to the swinging door, she peered through its glass window and searched for them. There was a large flat screen TV dangling by its wires. Electric sparks rained down onto the bar. A bug was eating a potted plant, tearing at its leaves. It wagged its tail in contentment.

 

Her brows shifted up in amusement. _Well, somebody's hungry_ …

 

The other bug sniffed her out and bellowed, stalking towards the door. Its tail whipped against the floor.

 

Kicking the swinging door open, she aimed and shot it in the head. The bug dropped to the carpet floor with a dull thud. Its companion turned on her, and she emptied two more rounds into it. It yowled as it was thrown back on impact, and quickly went still. They disappeared. Silence.

 

Yuffie sighed in satisfaction and put her gun away. _Piece of cake._

 

She slid her cell phone out again to confirm that the area was clean. To her dismay, two more bugs had appeared on the tracker.

 

“Well, guess that figures,” she mumbled. “I...”

 

The red dots suddenly doubled. Four bugs. And then, two more dots appeared. Six bugs. She frowned. One more dot blinked onto the screen. Seven bugs. Her eyes widened, and she gasped. She watched in horror as the bugs rapidly showed up on the screen. And they were on the move, towards the front entrance. On her back!

 

She pressed the emergency knob on her ear radio and squeezed.

 

00000

 

Somewhere in Uptown Valonia, Sephiroth was nearly done with cleaning up an infection on his patrol. He pinned down on the bugs under his foot and stabbed it in the head. Two of the monsters tried to run for their lives, but he swerved around, whipped out his pistol, and shot them both in the back.

 

He looked to his tracker, seeing nothing, and calculated the numbers in his head. Barret reported killing six of them. He had just finished off seven. Vincent exterminated four in a office building. Yuffie found two in a liquor store, and she was chasing down two more. What about Tifa?

 

He spoke on the team's shared frequency. “Tifa... you were quiet for a while. Before the breakout began.”

 

“Yes,” Vincent joined in. “I was worried. What happened to you?”

 

“Uh, well...” she stammered. “Something came up. Mr. Tuesti, he had something for me to do. Off the book.”

 

He heard Vincent hum in thought. “I suppose that isn't surprising...”

 

The emergency button on his ear radio began to beep, and he heard Yuffie's high-pitched voice on the team's shared line. Sephiroth twisted the knob to lower the volume.

 

00000

 

“Guys, I ran into a really bad infection over here.” Yuffie was still watching her screen. “There's nine of... no! Now there's eleven of 'em! Crap!”

 

Barret answered her right away. “Yuffie, where are you? You still on your patrol?”

 

“Yeah...” and she recited the street corner of her location, including the bus stop. “I'm at some cafe... Sally's Village, I think it's called... but I can't stay there!”

 

Sephiroth interjected on the line. “I just finished cleaning a spot in my area. I'll be there soon.”

 

“I'm not tied down,” Tifa chimed in. “And I'm close. I'm on the way right now. Get away and hang tight.”

 

“Try to find some high ground,” Vincent instructed. “We're coming for you.”

 

She smiled warmly at his voice and scrambled out of the back entrance. She crept along the wall and took a deep breath. She had to get to her ride... if that wasn't out of the question yet.

 

Barret agreed. “Yeah... scram out of there fast, kid.”

 

Yuffie poked her head around the corner to see. Sure enough, the bugs were been expelled out the ad screen's electric discharge. She cringed. It reminded her of ants streaming out of a shower faucet. Only, this was a hundred times worse.

 

Adding insult to injury, the rented motorcycle had been knocked over, and the mirror was busted out. A bug stood on it with its front legs and roared triumphantly. It was done for.

 

She spat out a curse.

 

“Hey! What's wrong?” asked Tifa.

 

“They killed my bike!” Yuffie hissed. “Stupid horned freaks!”

 

At least headquarters was footing the bill.

 

_I have to get away. And wait for back up!_

 

It wasn't long before the bugs were attracted to were she stood. The bug that destroyed the motorcycle tossed its head in her general direction. Another bug trailed after her, snorting and sniffing the air. She backed away and drew out her gun.

 

The bug literally reared its ugly head and bared its teeth. She shot it, lodging a bullet in its head, but she could hear the rest of the pack approaching. She spun on her heels and broke into a run.

 

00000

 

Somewhere near the edge of Tremblay Forest Park, a female Shinra agent hid herself amongst the trees. Her post was along a gravelly two-way road. _Twenty-five more minute,_ she thought. She was counting down. _Then I'm getting the hell out of dodge..._

 

Ever since the outbreak began, no one else had used this road to enter or leave the park, save for the GUPTA police and one of the vans from the local news network. She sat on a rock, gripping a pair of camera binoculars in one hand. She finished off a large meat bun in her other hand, which she had bought earlier at the lake in order to fit into the crowd. She tore her teeth into the last bite as she peered through the lenses.

 

_Hate to say it,_ the agent mused, crunching the paper wrapper into a ball, _but the food here isn't half bad._ But she would never admit that to her comrades.

 

The sound of a motorcycle rumbled as it made its way down the road. She got up from the rock, dropping her trash in the process, and moved closer to the road. She watched. She waited. There was just in time to see the two passengers as they zoomed past. She snapped the picture and examined it through the screen capture.

 

Yes, the riders matched the description with virtual perfection. The driver was definitely female, and she was wearing the same brown helmet and the black coat that the Titans 7 had a penchant for. And the second passenger had to be Mr. Strife, with his black helmet, an olive green windbreaker, and a pair of jeans.

 

She alerted their comrades immediately.

 


End file.
